To Be Lucky (continued)
by Mazey
Summary: "Natsu still isn't back yet, and I'm beginning to worry. He was supposed to be back eight days ago. I feel horrible for lying to the kids. Erza and Jellal went on their honeymoon a month ago, but now they're looking for Natsu. I wish I could help them, but he told me before he left that if anything happens to just stay here with the kids..." (A sequel to AcidRain1698's To Be Lucky)
1. Chapter One: Only So Close, Only So Far

_Chapter One: Only So Close, Only So Far_

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 **Author's Note: Hi! So this is a sequel to AcidRain1698's To Be Lucky story. Please leave a review and make sure to thank AcidRain1698 for giving me permission to continue her story and make it my own. :)  
**

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Lucy Dragneel sat at her desk in the bedroom Natsu and her shared. Their seven year old daughter, Nashi, sat on the bed attempting to read a children's picture book she'd gotten from Auntie Erza. Nashi's two year old brother, Ryu, sat on the floor playing with his dragon plushy and listening to his mother's sweet voice as she hummed.

"Mama?" Nashi asked, taking Lucy's attention away from the novel she was writing.

"Yes, sweetie," Lucy turned around in her desk chair to face the young dragon slayer. "What's up?"

"This book. They did it wrong." Nashi pointed to the cover that read: Key of the Starry Heavens by Will Neville.

"What did they do wrong?" The novelist stood up and jumped onto the bed beside her daughter, picking up Ryu and settling him on her lap.

"Fairy Tales are supposed to have a good ending. The prince and the princess are supposed to live happily ever after, right?"

Nashi's mother nodded her head. "Normally, yes..."

"Well then how come the girl brought the six keys together and then she killed everybody? It said she was supposed to have eternal happiness. But nobody was alive to live happily with her."

Ryu began to squirm in Lucy's arms, so she set him down on the elegant carpet that Lucy's father had owned at their mansion. She sighed and looked at her daughter's questionable expression. "You know what, sweetie. Why don't we go find a different book at the bookstore today. We'll call it an early Christmas present. Since we're going, I'll call Levy and ask if she wants to come along. How does that sound?"

Nashi looked up at her mother and smiled, showing off her canine teeth that matched Natsu's. "Can Levy bring me another book?"

Lucy giggled as she began to dial the numbers. "Sure, go put your jacket on, it's cold outside." She brought the telephone up to her ear as it began to ring. "If you want go play outside that'll be fine, but make sure that Ryu doesn't unlock the door."

"Okay!" Her daughter was already out the door.

"Hey Levy, it's Lucy. The kids and I are going to the bookstore and wanted to know if you'd like to join us?" Ryu began to whimper as he dragged his fall coat over to his mother.

"Oh, yeah! I definitely need a break from the family. I just have to make sure that Gajeel is okay watching Kairi. I'll be right back." Levy set the phone down on her kitchen counter and walked over to her husband who was lying on the couch, her five year old daughter Kairi following close behind.

Lucy finally got annoyed with her son pulling on her jeans and looked down at him. "Mama," He said. "Outside."

His mother sighed, "Ryu, please wait until I'm done on the phone. Just let Nashi play alone."

"But, Mama." He whined.

"God, you're just like Natsu." She mumbled as she slid his arms into the thick coat. Immediately her son ran over to the door and fiddled with the round golden knob. "Silly, go get your boots and your hat. Then I'll help you put your mittens on and open the door." Ryu did as he was told and attempted to pull his boots over his feet.

He got frustrated and threw them onto the floor. "Mama! Help!" He cried.

The celestial wizard giggled. "Bring them here and I'll help you." She balanced the phone between her shoulder and her cheek as she waited for Levy to come back.

"Hey, Lu-chan. Gajeel said it'd be okay to leave for a few hours. Should I meet you at the bookstore or at your house?"

"Sorry, I know I said we'd meet there but I really need help. Ryu has been a handful lately. I'm pretty sure it's because Natsu hasn't been home for two weeks and he isn't coming home until _next_ week. It's gotta be hard on the kids. He's never been gone this long..."

"Oh, c'mon. We all know you miss him too." Levy teased.

"Well, I do. But Ryu doesn't like it when he can't feel Natsu's presence. But now that Nashi is old enough, she doesn't mind it when he leaves." Lucy finished dressing her son and opened the door to let him outside, causing the toddler to squeal with excitement. She watched from the window as Nashi played in the leaves and Ryu tried to find her.

"Luce, you still there?" Levy asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Let me grab my jacket and I'll meet you at the library. We'll go to the bookstore afterwords."

"Alright, see you then. Bye, Lu-chan."

"Bye," Lucy hung up the phone at set it back onto the charger. She slid her knee-high black leather boots on and zipped up her pink coat, the one she'd worn when Natsu, Happy, and her went to Mount Hakobe to retrieve Hakobe Ice for an ice carver. She opened the door and went outside to where her children played in the leaves. "Come on, guys. We're going to meet Levy at the library."

Nashi ran up to her mother as Lucy picked up Ryu and brushed the leaves out of his spiky pink hair. "Mama, when will I get to play with Amaya and Avalon?"

"I don't know, sweetie. Whenever Juvia and Gray get the chance."

"What about Levy?"

"Kairi is turning six soon, so Levy's too busy with the party."

"And Auntie Erza?"

"She's on her honeymoon with Jellal. And they don't have any kids..." Lucy placed Ryu higher on her hip. "Oh! That reminds me, I'll have to ask if Asuka can babysit you two."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm having a girl's night out with Levy, Juvia, and Erza when she gets back. And Daddy won't be back by then."

"Why can't Wendy babysit us, or Mira?" Nashi complained.

"Because, Asuka needs the money, plus it'd be good for you to get to know the members." Ryu moved his mother's blonde bangs to the side of her forehead, just so he could see her chocolate eyes staring back at him.

"Fine," Nashi sighed.

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"Lu-chan! Over here!" A feminine voice shouted.

"Hi, Levy. It's been super long, huh?" The celestial mage asked. "When was the last time I saw you?"

"I'm not actually sure myself. I've been really busy with my family, too." The bluenette giggled.

"Auntie Levy!" Nashi shouted happily as she climbed into a chair. Lucy took a seat beside her daughter and bounced Ryu in her lap.

"Hello, Nashi. What book are you reading today?" The solid script wizard asked curiously.

"Key of the Starry Heavens." The little dragon slayer smiled proudly. "I was kinda hoping you'd bring me a new one to read because they did the book wrong."

Levy smiled, "Well you're in luck. I remembered to grab a new one before I left." Nashi's brown eyes lit up as her mother's friend reached into her blue bag and pulled out another story.

The young wizard gasped. "My favorite one! You brought Heaven's Dream!" Her mother giggled as Nashi turned the pages in the book to make sure it wasn't a scam. She jumped from her seat as the back cover closed with a smack and hugged Levy.

Nashi finally decided to let go and read her storybook. "When's your due date?" Lucy asked, tickling Ryu's stomach and making him groan.

"Hm? Oh. On Christmas." The _pregnant_ Levy replied.

"Really, I thought it'd be farther." Lucy sighed. "Time sure does fly." Ryu pulled on the blonde's hair, causing her to glare at him. "Did Wendy tell you the gender yet?"

"No. The baby is sitting in such an odd position it's difficult to tell. Plus, I told her we don't need to know. I'm perfectly fine finding out when it's born. Although I'm definitely sure Kairi wants to know... and Gajeel."

The novelist smiled, "When are you having Kairi's sixth birthday party anyway?"

"Probably on her birthday next week Tuesday. Does that work for you?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely..." Lucy trailed off.

"Oh, wait a minute," Levy slapped her forehead with her palm, grabbing Nashi and Ryu's attention. "That's the day Natsu's coming home. I'll reschedule to an earlier date so you don't miss any time with him."

"No, Levy. It's fine. I can miss one day with my husband." Lucy reassured.

" _Sure_ you can." The solid script wizard sarcastically said. "Anyway, thanks for inviting me... but I've really got to get back home to Gajeel." Levy stood from her chair and pushed it in. "I guess I'll see you on our girl's night out, huh?"

Lucy nodded. "Bye, Levy."

 **That night...**

"Mama? When will Daddy be home?" Nashi asked as she climbed up the ladder to her bunk. Lucy pulled up the comforter and tucked Ryu in tight on the bottom bunk.

"Next week Tuesday." The celestial wizard didn't take her eyes off of her sleeping son. Nashi shuffled under the sheets and tried to warm the bed with her body heat. "Good night Nashi." Her mother sternly said before she shut the door.

Nashi knew something was wrong, but didn't say a word.

 _Good night, Daddy. Be safe, wherever you are. Come back home to Mama, Ryu, and me. Got that?_ Nashi thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lucy sat at her wooden desk. She picked up her quail pen and began to write.

 _"Dear mom,_

 _Natsu still isn't back yet, and I'm beginning to worry. He was supposed to be back eight days ago. I feel horrible for lying to the kids. Erza and Jellal went on their honeymoon a month ago, but now they're looking for Natsu. I wish I could help them, but he told me before he left that if anything happens to just stay here with the kids._

 _Natsu, wherever you are... you'd better not be dead. These are your kids too, and you should be the one helping to raise them._

 _Love, your daughter, Lucy."_

The blonde placed the pen in the clay ink pot and climbed into the bed. She flicked the light switch off on the lamp and closed her eyes.

 _"Don't worry, Luce. I'll be back."_ She could just hear Natsu saying it. She weakly smiled and fell into a deep sleep.

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 **Author's Note: Hey, guys! I hope you liked the first chapter. Sorry it isn't as good as AcidRain1698's but I'm still a beginner. Anyway, please leave me a review!**


	2. Chapter Two: A New Smile

_Chapter Two: A New Smile_

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 **Author's Note: Hi! So I'm currently looking for any chapter requests that are out there. I'm really kinda blank right now. Please leave a reveiw, I love all the help and support!  
**

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Ryu sat at the Dragneel family's round wooden table in the dining room while Lucy and Nashi were making scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Of course, being the little monster that Ryu is, he was banging his spoon on the table, annoying Nashi and Lucy.

"Ryu! Stop it!" The little dragon slayer shouted. The toddler whined and, forgetting how he'd gotten yelled at, decided to stare at the reflection of himself on the spoon. Nashi suddenly detected a buzzing noise coming through the phone wire. "Mama, the phone is about to ring."

"Thank you," Lucy flipped all eight of the pancakes that cooked in the pan and brought the phone to her ear when it suddenly rang. "Always right on time, Nashi." Her seven year old smiled brightly at her.

"Hey, Lucy. You there?" A deep male voice said through the phone.

"Uh, yeah. What's wrong, Gajeel? Is Levy okay?" The celestial wizard's children looked worriedly at her.

"She's fine right now, but she went into labor here at the guild. She said she'd really like to have you here." The iron dragon slayer quickly explained.

"O-okay. I'll be there in a minute. I just have to get the kids ready." And with that, Gajeel hung up the phone and ran back into the infirmary to help his wife.

"Mama? Is everything okay?" Nashi asked as she took the pancakes off the cast iron pan.

"Levy's gonna have her baby. And she wants me to come meet her. Get your coats on, kids. You two can eat breakfast at the guild. Just turn the burner off and put the dishes in the sink while I help Ryu get ready, okay Nashi? Can you do that all for me?" Lucy's little trooper nodded and began the clean-up. "That's my girl!"

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Nashi and Ryu Dragneel, Kairi Redfox, and the Fullbuster twins, Amaya and Avalon, sat on the bar stools by Mirajane and Kinanna, the guild's two barmaids. Lucy was in the infirmary helping Levy. Of course, the solid script wizard was alarmed when she knew she'd gone into labor _three months_ early. Now the guild hall was silent and wore worrisome faces.

Asuka, who was only sixteen, was holding Ryu and hoped she'd get payed. "Asuka-chan? When will Mama and Daddy be back?" The six and a half year old, Amaya, asked their babysitter. Gray and Juvia went to help on the search for Natsu and had left the twins in Asuka's hands.

"I'm not sure myself." The sniper lied. She knew the answer... Gray wasn't coming back until he found the dragon slayer. The two were basically brothers. They cared about each other but they still fought _all the time_ to entertain themselves.

"Oh..." The young ice wizard drifted off. Asuka felt horrible for lying to such an adorable face. She had such pretty blue eyes and black hair pulled back into twin tails. And Avalon, he was such a charming little one with spiky black hair and his sea blue eyes. How did their parents do it? Stay completely under-control when they were so damn cute?

Nashi suddenly picked up her mother's scent with her sensitive dragon slayer nose. "Mama?" The young dragon slayer stood up and ran down the long hallway to the infirmary but crashed into Lucy on the way.

Her mother giggled, grasped Nashi's hand in hers, and entered the guild's dinning room. "Levy and Gajeel now have a healthy baby girl!" She announced to the guild. Of course, Nashi, Kairi, and Amaya were begging to go see the baby, and Ryu and Avalon couldn't care less. Most of the guild awed and hoped they would all get a chance to see the darling girl.

Nashi, Lucy, Kairi, and Amaya stepped into the infirmary and saw Levy lying under a thick white blanket. Gajeel sat beside her and held a little baby girl in his arms. She had the prettiest dark blue hair and obsidian eyes to match her father's.

"So, did we decide on a name yet?" Lucy inquired.

Levy smiled, "Her name is Nami..."

"What would you have chosen if it was a boy?" Wendy's sparrow brown eyes twinkled in the lighting.

"Probably Kiyo. We didn't really think that much about a boy's name." Levy said in her soothing soft voice.

"May I hold her?" Nashi asked. Alarmed, Lucy looked down at her daughter. "I've never really held a baby before. I was too young when Ryu was born. May I hold her?"

"Go sit down in that chair over there, beside Amaya and Kairi. Wendy will bring her to you." The sky dragon slayer did as she was told and cradled the baby in her arms, beginning to lower her into Nashi's grasp.

"She's so cute." Amaya giggled next to her. The ice wizard brushed the baby's hair out of her eyes and noticed the eye colors. "Levy? Is something wrong with her?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Her left eye is dark gray, and her right eye is black." Gray's daughter explained.

"Yeah," Nashi agreed. "It's kind of creepy." The celestial wizard, who was leaning against the door frame, giggled and the rest of the guild behind her echoed her chuckle.

"That just means she is a special one." Levy smiled. Wendy took the baby from Nashi and brought Nami back to her parents.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Nami Redfox!" Amaya, Kairi, and Nashi shouted. The guild nodded their heads in agreement.

"I hope you like it here." Nashi whispered as she followed Amaya out of the infirmary and into the guild's dining hall.

 **That Night...**

Like every night, Lucy tucked in Nashi and Ryu and returned to her desk to write a letter to her mother.

 _"Dear mom,_

 _Today Gajeel and Levy's daughter, Nami, was born. She has the prettiest dark blue hair and one of her eyes is dark gray and the other is black. She's a darling!_

 _Natsu still hasn't returned and Erza and Jellal are returning back to Fairy Tail in two days. They need more information about the job he took. Juvia and Gray are still searching, and they won't be back until he's found alive or... dead. I hope the kids never find out, I don't want to scare them. I want to protect their pasts, they don't need such wicked memories like the rest of us here..._

 _Love, your daughter, Lucy."_

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 **Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the short chapter, but I hope you liked it. And, I've decided on the names of Gajeel and Levy's daughter: Their baby is going to be named Nami. So please tell me how I did in a reveiw!  
**


	3. Chapter Three: Sugar And Roses

_Chapter Three: Sugar And Roses_

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 **Author's Note: Hi, guys! Sorry the last chapter was really short, but the Fairy Tail family is growing! Gajeel and Levy had their second baby, Nami, and their first daughter, Kairi, is turning six years old! I might make a birthday chapter, but I really need more ideas from you guys. Please help and don't forget to leave a review!**

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The next morning, Lucy awoke to the pleasing smell of roses. It startled her, considering her house _never_ smelled as wonderful as this. She opened one weary eye and was blinded by the sun's brightness shining into her bedroom. The celestial wizard groaned before she threw the blanket off herself and stood up. She shivered in the damp room before putting on a white sweatshirt over her black tank top. Surprisingly, Nashi and Ryu hadn't awoken yet.

 _If only Natsu were here. He'd be able to warm the house up no problem._ The mage thought, dragging her feet and stepping into the kitchen. She began to rummage through their cupboards before deciding to just make frozen waffles in the toaster. She didn't feel like making any breakfast, and when the kids finally woke up they could have toasted waffles, or cereal for all she cared. Nashi _was_ old enough to make her own breakfast without using the oven or the stove, and Ryu would eat anything put in front of him.

Suddenly, she noticed a bouquet of roses placed in a glossy white painted vase on the table. Lucy gasped and admired how wonderful they smelled, and how beautiful they looked.

"Mama?" A small voice yawned behind her. Lucy turned around to face it.

"Good morning, Nashi. How'd you sleep?"

"I heard Daddy's voice. He told me to believe in him. And he said that he'd be back soon." The young fire wizard sat down at the table and held her head up with her small palm.

"D-daddy? You heard Daddy's voice?"

"Yeah," She rubbed her eyes. "he said not to worry. He'll love me forever."

 _Natsu spoke to her. He's alive... or was she just dreaming? Is he alright?_ Lucy frantically thought. Her mind was overflowing with worrisome thoughts of her husband.

"Mama, you might want to go and wake up Ryu. He was breathing fire in his sleep again, and he doesn't listen when I try to drag him out of bed." Nashi stood up and searched through the freezer for the waffles. She knew when Lucy didn't feel like making breakfast and she'd normally make her own.

The celestial wizard scurried into the child's room and knelt down beside his bed."Ryu, sweetie. It's time to get up." Lucy whispered in her son's ear. He groaned and opened one of his small eyes. The celestial wizard giggled. "C'mon, baby." She threw the covers off the little dragon slayer's body and lifted him out of bed. Again, he groaned.

Lucy felt the cold tile on her bare feet as she walked into the kitchen. Nashi was at the table eating her toasted waffles and piling more syrup on them every time she took a bite. "Honey, please stop putting more syrup on. You have enough." She reached across the table to snatch the glass syrup bottle from her daughter and put it onto a high cabinet.

"But Mama-"

"No buts. You have enough maple syrup to last you three more waffles. You don't need anymore." Nashi huffed and stood up from her seat. She dragged a chair across the room, stood up on it, and grabbed the rainbow sprinkles from her favorite cupboard... the sugar cabinet.

Again, Lucy took it away from her. "Nashi. For God's sake, you're obsessed with sugar!"

"But it tastes _so_ good. Just one hundred sprinkles?"

"No." Lucy firmly stated.

"Fifty?"

"Nope."

"Thirty?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Twenty?"

"Nashi! No more sprinkles!" The blonde shouted. "No more sugar for the rest of the day!"

"Wha-"

"Nashi. No. More. Sugar."

"Fine," She agreed. "No more sugar."

"Good. Now go wash up. We're going to the guild to see Levy, Gajeel, Nami, and Kairi." Nashi stomped off into the bathroom to wash her sticky hands. "And I thought _you'd_ be a handful." Lucy poked her son in his stomach, which caused him to giggle and shove her finger away.

* * *

As normal, the guild was as lively as ever. Erza and Jellal had returned this morning, and had agreed to watch Amaya and Avalon until Gray and Juvia returned. Asuka had enough of them.

Mirajane and Kinanna were serving hungry wizards. Romeo and Wendy were chatting together and deciding what their children's hair color would be and what their names would be. Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow were searching for their next job at the request board, and Elfman and Lisanna greeted the Dragneels. Levy and Gajeel were chatting with the Master while admiring their newborn.

"The Fairy Tail Family sure is growing, wouldn't you agree?" Master Makarov asked.

Levy grinned. "Definitely. The next generation is all figured out. There's Nashi, Ryu, Amaya, Avalon, Kairi, and now Nami. Who knows if Jellal and Erza have decided to have kids or not?"

"Levy!" Lucy shouted.

"Lu-chan!" The solid script wizard gasped. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Nashi ran off to go play with the Fullbuster Twins, and Ryu refused to get carried around by his mother, so he followed Nashi and let Auntie Erza pick him up. "So, how are you feeling?"

Gajeel's wife stood up and walked over to an empty table to chat with Lucy. "Actually, I'm feeling really crappy. My head hurts all the time, and my weird cravings still aren't going away. I woke up this morning and I wanted pickles, gram crackers, and spray cheese."

Lucy's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Yeah, well, mine didn't go away until three months had passed. I'd send Natsu to the grocery store with the weirdest list." She giggled. "He hated it too."

"Well, I hope mine go away soon before I end up eating barbecued ribs and whipped cream or something."

Lucy giggled before it turned to a sigh. "Any word on Natsu?"

The bookworm shook her head. "Jellal and Erza said they couldn't even get a lead on where he might be. Gray and Juvia reported back on the communication lacrima this morning and said they hadn't seen any sign of him either, and no lead on Happy."

"Dammit, Natsu. Where the hell are you?"

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 **Author's Note: Hi! So how did I do on this chapter? Sorry I haven't updated lately. School has been kicking my butt and I have after school crap too. Anyway, leave me a reveiw please!**


	4. Chapter Four: Here For Her

_Chapter Four: Here For Her_

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 **Author's Note: Hello fanfiction readers! I'm back with another chapter. So, how have I been doing with the story so far? Please tell me in a reveiw!**

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It was early on Saturday morning as Lucy awoke from her beauty sleep. The sun wasn't awake and the sky was a dark purple backdrop against the bright moonlight. The normal bustling city was silent and her apartment was empty. Nashi and Ryu were most likely still asleep, as was the rest of the city. The celestial mage groaned and climbed out of her bed. Without Natsu in the house, it somehow seemed... colder?

His body heat had normally kept the house -and Lucy- warm in the nights. Without him there, everything just seemed so... dead. There wasn't any familiar toothy grin to comfort her or the kids anymore, and Lucy didn't know if there ever would be one again. She sighed, "He'll be back. I just know it, I mean, it's Natsu for god's sake. And he never leaves a comrade, much less his family behind."

She trudged out into the kitchen as raindrops raced each other down the windows. It made her mood feel even more gloomy. She flopped onto the elegant sofa and fiddled with her shorts. She was always so bored lately...

Suddenly, something shiny caught her eye. The celestial mage sat up and leaned over as far as she could to reach the object on the coffee table. It was surprisingly light, considering how heavy the metal looked.

She turned it around in her fingers and gasped, suddenly realizing what it was. The sapphire blue jewel necklace that she'd gotten from Natsu on their third date. But, she'd given it to him before he'd left on the job request. How'd it end up here?

Beside where it had been placed was an envelope sealed with a red stamp. She carefully picked it up, afraid it would break in her hands if she was too rough with the delicate note. She knew who it was from, she'd know that scratchy handwriting anywhere. On the front a name was written:

 _To Lucy. Love, your Dragon._

Lucy slowly ripped the envelope open and pulled the letter out. The date, April 7th X801, was written across the top as well as an address to where it came from. "You were just waiting for me to come find you. Weren't you, Natsu?" The celestial wizard mumbled to herself.

Teardrops fell onto the page as she tried to calm herself, attempting to prevent Nashi from hearing her sobbing. She felt her head begin to drop, and the rain poured even more than before.

 _Natsu, where are you? The guild needs you, the kids need you, I need you. So why won't you come home?_

A knock on the door startled her, and Lucy stood up from the sofa, quickly drying her tears. Her husband was gone, it was raining, and she kept getting these strange things when she woke up. Again, a knock sounded and made her panic. She rushed down the wooden steps and whipped the door open.

Gray was standing in the rain, his hair drooping over his eyes and his clothes soaking wet. "Gray!" Lucy exclaimed, rushing the ice wizard inside.

"Whoa, Lucy. Geez, I'm an ice wizard. I don't catch 'colds'." Gray mocked her.

The novelist brought him over to the couch, sat down, and patted the cushion. He sat down beside her and sighed, afraid she'd get mad at him for getting the furniture wet. "When did you get back?" She inquired.

"Earlier this morning. We haven't picked up the twins yet... we decided Erza deserves a little more time with them." Gray rang out his wet hair in the towel Lucy had given him.

She blankly stared at the note from Natsu in her hands. Gray knew not to bother her, especially when she started acted this way.

"So, how you holdin' up?" He placed the towel on his lap.

The celestial wizard brought her gaze off the note and up at Gray. She hadn't been paying attention to a word he'd said since they sat on the couch. "Hm?"

"Lucy, I know you heard me. So why won't you talk to anyone about it?"

She stared at his worried eyes for about three minutes before she finally snapped out of her trance. Her line of sight returned to the envelope in her pale hands. "Because, Gray..."

"Because why?" He inquired. He knew she was devastated, but he wanted to know the full story.

"Because!" Lucy forced herself to look him in the eye. "What would happen if Juvia just decided to up and leave?! What if she never came back?!" Her tears fell heavily and landed on the note, staining it with dark, wet marks.

Gray wrapped his arms around his crying friend and pulled her close. "Lucy, everything will be fine. Natsu'll be back soon, okay?"

She pushed her head against his chest, hiding her face. "I know," *hic* "but I" *hic* "don't even know" *hic* "if he's coming back."

Gray hugged her tighter, trying as hard as he could to show no emotion. He didn't know if Natsu was coming back either. He was just doing what friends should do, and he hated seeing her cry.

"Gray?" He looked down at the top of her blonde head as she sniffled. "Thank you. For everything."

"Lucy, I need you to stop crying. It won't help us find him."

She nodded her head slowly. "I know. But I can't help it."

"Mama?" A small voice caught Lucy's attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nashi, go back to bed. I've got this." Gray assured.

"But-"

Her mother sniffled. "Nashi, just go to bed." The young dragon slayer did as told, and returned to her bedroom.

The celestial wizard pulled away from her friend's grip. "Gray, I think it's time you go see your own kids. I'll be alright."

"You sure? I can stay for a while." His worrisome look caused Lucy to pause a moment.

"Yeah," She traced her pink Fairy Tail mark on her right hand. "I'll be okay."

The two stood up in sync as Lucy led him to the door. She silently closed it behind him and climbed up the staircase to watch him leave from the window. As Gray walked, he glanced over his shoulder one last time at her bloodshot eyes and depressed face. "I'll bring him back, Lucy. I _promise_."

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 **Author's Note: For some odd reason, I love the idea of Lucy and Gray having a great friendship. Personally, I think it's kinda cute. This is probably my favorite chapter I've ever written... I know it's a little short, but still.**

 **Anyway, please tell me how I did in a reveiw and I'll see you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter Five: A Memory Book

_Chapter Five: A Memory Book_

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 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm so happy to be back. School has been kicking me in the butt. I hoped you guys liked the last chapter... I wrote it in kind of a rush (whoops). I've been trying to update super fast to keep your attention on the story... but it doesn't always work with me. Anyway, please drop me a reveiw!**

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Lucy sighed as she flipped through the scrapbook she'd made of her memories while in Fairy Tail, and she couldn't help but smile every time she turned the page. The pages were always filled with so _many_ memories, good and bad.

Nashi sat on the floor beside her mother, who hummed as she sat at the kitchen table. The young dragon slayer was coloring a picture of one of her favorite fairy tales, The Princess and The Dragon. It always reminded her of her parents.

Normally, the princess fell in love with the prince who rescued her. But in this Fairy Tale, the princess fell in love with the dragon who guarded her. All the other Fairy Tales have to end with happily ever after, this one doesn't. The prince finds the tower the princess was trapped in and kills the dragon. The princess refuses to go with him, and the prince leaves the crying girl there. But he returns a few days later, only to capture the princess and bring her to his palace.

Nashi never understood why she loved this fairy tale, or why it reminded her of her parents. And she never could get the courage to ask her mother why she liked these kinds of fairy tales in the first place, the ones that never end with a happily ever after.

"Nashi," Lucy giggled, putting the brakes on Nashi's train of thought. "Come look at this picture." The young girl stood up from the tiled floor and climbed into a wooden chair next to her mother. The novelist pointed at a colorful picture of six teenagers. "Can you guess who they are?"

"No," Nashi shook her head. "I'm clueless."

"It's a painting Redus made about what you guys might look like in the future." Lucy pointed at one pink haired girl. "This one's you."

"Me?" The fire wizard pulled the book closer to her face. "No way."

"Yep." Her mother giggled.

"Let me guess." Nashi pointed to a handsome young boy with pink hair. "Is this one Ryu?"

"Right on."

Natsu's daughter pointed to a girl with silky black hair and sea blue eyes. "Is this Amaya?" Lucy nodded her head as her daughter pointed to another boy. This time, he had spiky black hair atop his head. "And he's Avalon, right?" She pointed to another girl with black hair and gray eyes. "She's Kairi," The dragon slayer stared at a smaller girl, her black hair pulled back into long pigtails. "But who is she?"

"Nami," Lucy replied. "I can't imagine what Jellal and Erza's kids will look like. I wish I could tell you, but I'm not even sure they want to have kids." She sighed as she turned to the next page in the scrapbook.

A picture of the whole guild was displayed neatly on the page, with Natsu holding a golden trophy and wearing an elegant crown. "What's this from?" Her daughter inquired.

The novelist giggled. "When we won The Grand Magic Games." Her smile faded when she turned to look at the pink haired mage in the middle. "Daddy had stolen the king's crown the night of the party."

"Who are these guys?" Nashi had her gaze fixed on a blonde mage and a black haired mage.

"Those guys?" Lucy smiled weakly. "You _should_ know who they are. You've met them before."

"Are they, no. Are they Sting and Rouge?" The dragon slayer's eyes widened as her mother nodded her head slowly. "Seriously?"

"Nashi, it's time for bed." She avoided all eye contact with her daughter as she slammed the scrapbook shut. Her heart aching, the fire wizard stood from her chair and followed her mother into the bedroom.

Nashi climbed up her ladder to reach the top bunk and sighed. "Mama? Why do you always look so sad?"

This caught Lucy's attention, but she said nothing.

"It's starting to scare me a little bit."

"It's nothing." Lucy scurried to the door before her daughter could drag her deeper into the conversation. "Good night." She shut the door and left Nashi in a pool of darkness.

The girl laid her head back. _I know when you lie, Mama. And I'm going to find out why you lied to me this time._

* * *

Lucy closed the door of her bedroom silently and leaned against it. She let her knees give out, her back sliding down the wooden door as tears raced down her cheeks. "Why won't you just come home already, idiot?" She whispered.

The celestial wizard sat against the door for another half an hour, just crying. And, forgetting about the letter to her mother, she dried her tears and climbed into bed.

About fifteen minutes later, a knock on the bedroom window startled her. _Natsu?_ Lucy quickly uncovered herself and ripped open the window. "Natsu?!"

"It's just me." A voice said from the cobblestone street. She looked down, only to see Gray standing in the moonlight.

"Why didn't you-"

"Go through the door? I didn't want to wake up Nashi or Ryu." Gray interrupted. "Will you just meet me outside?"

"Y-yeah. Just gimme a second." Lucy opened the bedroom door and slipped on her soft gray bathrobe and light purple slippers. She tip-toed down the stairs and opened the front door. Her slippers and bathrobe kept her warm for the most part, but the chill of the night made her shiver. "What's up?"

"I got news on Natsu earlier this afternoon from Sting..." Lucy patently waited for him to continue. "They found his scarf, Luce. And Natsu doesn't just leave it behind." Gray pulled out the white piece of cloth from his vest and handed it to his teary-eyed friend.

She clenched the cloth tight in her hands and cried lightly, trying to convince herself that he was alright. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She tried again, but was speechless. Just like the night before, Gray pulled her close as she cried into his chest. Finally, she got her words in order. "G-Gray. Thank you. For everything."

"Just... don't take this too hard. We all know Natsu's okay, right?" Now the cold was making Lucy shiver, and the ice wizard pulled her closer.

"I'd better get back inside." She pulled away from his grip and shut the door behind her. She glanced out the window carved in the door, only to see Gray worriedly staring at the wooden door. She tip-toed back up the stairs and into her bedroom. She threw her bathrobe and slippers aside before climbing into bed.

She held the scarf close, and gratefully closed her eyes. She hadn't slept much in the past few days. Gray always came over to check on her, and she was certainly taking this situation hard. Her husband was gone, and so was Happy. She'd lied to the kids about everything, and she hated herself for doing it.

 _Natsu you damn idiot. If you can here me, you'd better get your ass home._ Lucy thought before she drifted off into dreamland...

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, how'd I do? Sorry for the bit of swear words at the end, I'm not normally one to swear. But in the situation Lucy's caught in, I'd probably be cussing at Natsu too. Anyway, please leave me a reveiw and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	6. Chapter Six: Storms and Secrets

_Chapter Six: Storms And Secrets_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hi! Sorry it took me so long to update. I went to the mall with my friends today and writer's block has been my enemy for the last few days. Anyway, please tell me how I did with this chapter. I wrote it really quick, but please leave a reveiw anyway!**

* * *

"Mama!" Ryu cried from the hallway between the two bedrooms. "Mama!"

Lucy jerked awake, groaning at the noise of her son screaming. _What the hell does he want now?_

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as Ryu shrieked again. "Mama!" He pounded his fists against the door of her bedroom.

"What, Ryu?" The celestial mage uncovered herself from the blankets and trudged over to the door, unlocking it and sending her son tumbling into the room. She peeked her head out the door and into the hallway, only to see the kitchen light on. "I'll be right back." Of course, her first thoughts were that it was Natsu.

She tip-toed into the dinning room, only to see Nashi sitting on the tiled floor leaning against one of the cupboards, her knees by her chest and her hands covering her ears. She looked up at Lucy, surprised to see her mother awake. "Mama," She mumbled.

"Nashi, what's wro-" The novelist's soothing voice was interrupted by a crashing noise followed by a blinding light.

"Agh!" Nashi held her ears tighter and curled herself into a ball. Ryu clenched Lucy's leg, pinching her skin as he squeezed tighter.

She sighed. "Come lay in bed with me." She picked up her son and balanced him on her hip. Then held her hand out to Nashi, who grabbed it and squeezed as hard as she could, making Lucy wince.

 _Holy Mavis this kid has a strong grip._ She thought. _She's definitely Natsu Dragneel's daughter._ The trio walked into the novelist's bedroom, shutting the door behind them. The blonde set Ryu down on the bed and Nashi climbed up after him.

Lucy gasped, suddenly remembering her husband's scarf. She dug through the sheets until she found it, stuffing the scaly scarf into the drawer of her husband's nightstand. She turned around to face her children, only to find them sound asleep comfortably under the fluffy covers.

The novelist smiled, walking over to her side of the bed and climbing in beside Ryu. Nashi and her brother were both lying where their father slept, hoping that just the smell of him would soothe them. Nashi always thought he smelt like smoke with a touch of cinnamon. She didn't understand how to describe it other than smoke and cinnamon... it was the only explanation for his sweet fragrance.

The blonde sat on the bed, smiling at the two fire mages. Nashi groaned as she turned onto her side to face the celestial wizard. "Mama?"

The noise startled Lucy, making her eyes widen in surprise. "What is it?" She whispered, attempting not to wake up Ryu.

"Where's Daddy? I heard you and Uncle Gray talking tonight. I know Daddy is in danger, and that nobody knows where he is. So why'd you lie to us?" Tears filled in the novelist's eyes as she stared at her daughter's pleading chocolate orbs. "Mama?"

Natsu's wife turned away, trying to hide her tears. "Because, Nashi. Because I didn't want you to know that Daddy might not make it back. It's that simple. Uncle Gray has been coming over in the nights to check on us, and the guild is searching along with Sting and Rouge. Daddy hasn't left a trace of where he ran off to. All they found was his scarf."

"H-his scarf?" The young dragon slayer asked worriedly as her mother nodded.

"I lied about Erza and Jellal going on their honeymoon," A weak smile spread across Lucy's lips. "They did that a month ago. And I lied about Uncle Gray and Aunt Juvia. They didn't go on a job, they went looking for Daddy. And Sting, Lector, Frosch, Rouge, and Yukino left to find him too." More tears fell onto the elegant pillow.

"Mama?"

"Nashi. What choice did I have? There was nothing else I could do..." A noise startled Lucy, turning her gaze to Nashi.

"Yes there was! You could've told us!" She climbed out of bed and slipped her boots on at the front door. Her jacket went on over her pajamas. "Why'd you lie to us?!"

Nashi ripped open the door, running out into the storm. The loud thunder and the flashing lightning ran through the house as Lucy jumped out of bed and watched her daughter run through the rain."Nashi!" She attempted to shout, but the noise of the storm covered up her voice completely.

The dragon slayer slowed down, but only for a moment to look back at her mother yelling her name before she ran off again, completely out of Lucy's sight.

"Nashi!" She shouted again. "Nashi!"

* * *

The dragon slayer scurried through the wet darkness of the damp streets in Magnolia, reading the street signs as she ran. _I'm going to Uncle Gray's house. He'll understand, right?_ Nashi thought. _I'll just ask him to let me stay and not to call Mama. He'd do that. And then I'll ask him to give me more information about Daddy._

She turned down Oak Road and searched for a blue painted house, which belonged to her aunt and uncle. Once she found it, she ran up to their door and knocked. To her surprise, the door opened right away, and Gray stood in the door frame.

"Nashi? What're you doing here? It's two in the morning." The ice wizard yawned.

"Gray-sama? Who is it?" Juvia asked, walking over to the door. She gasped when she saw the young girl shivering in the rain. "Here, raindrop. Come inside." Nashi stepped into their entry way, her aunt slipping off her coat and boots, hugged her close. "Why aren't you at home?"

"B-because. Mama lied to us about Daddy. He isn't on a really long job request. He's gone, and nobody can find him." Her aunt and uncle exchanged a glance and then brought their gazes back at their niece.

"Nashi, how did you find out about that?" Juvia asked, bringing the child over to their light gray sofa and wrapping a thick blanket around her.

Nashi sniffled and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Mama told me herself. I heard her and Uncle Gray talking about it earlier, and I asked her about it and she told me everything."

"Nashi... I hope you know that it was wrong of you to run out on your mother like that." Gray said as she nodded her head. "But, I'm not going to make Lucy run out here in the rain. So I'm going to give her a call."

"No! Please don't!" Her sudden shouting surprised the couple.

"Nashi, but I need to. I'm not going to make her worry. She already has enough on her plate with Natsu." The ice wizard explained.

"I know, it's just..."

Gray sighed. "Fine. But you can't spend your whole life here, ya know. We'll bring you back home in the morning so you can apologize to your mother." The dragon slayer nodded her head. "For now you can sleep with Amaya."

Juvia took the child's hand and led her up into the twins' room. Amaya was sleeping on the bottom bunk bed while Avalon was on the top. The young ice wizard didn't even notice Nashi climbing into bed beside her. "Good night, Nashi." The water wizard left the room and closed the door behind her.

Nashi instantly fell asleep, dreaming about her father as she did. _Good night, Daddy. Please be safe, and come home soon, 'kay? We really miss you._

* * *

"Dammit, Nashi. Where did you go?" Lucy sighed. Without a doubt she knew she went to Gray and Juvia's place, or possibly Erza and Jellal's. She knew she wouldn't have gone to Levy's because she would've already gotten a call from her friend.

She sighed before climbing back into bed next to Ryu, glancing at the spot where Nashi had been sleeping. _You'd better be back in the morning. You're so stubborn, just like your father..._

* * *

 **Author's Note: So? How'd I do? Please tell me in a reveiw, guys! I really do love all the support. So, I'll see you in the next chapter!  
**


	7. Chapter Seven: Good Morning!

_Chapter Seven: Good Morning!_

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 **Author's Note: Konichiwa! I finally finished this chapter. I had to work on plenty of my other school stuff and chores. Phew, I'm glad they're done. Anyway, please tell me how I did with this chapter in a review! I love you guys so much!**

* * *

"Nashi. Get up." Amaya shook her friend awake.

The dragon slayer groaned. "What is it, Amaya?"

"Daddy says it's time for breakfast. Then we have to bring you home." The ice wizard climbed over Nashi and stood in the dimmed bedroom wearing her pajamas, which contained of a teal blue tank-top and white pants. Amaya was practically jumping up and down from the smell of her mother's pancakes. Again, she shook Nashi, but more violently this time. "Get up already! Mama's making pancakes!"

At the mention of pancakes, the dragon slayer was fully awake and halfway down the staircase before Amaya even realized she'd left. The two rushed into the kitchen in sync and wore the biggest grins on their faces, making Juvia and Gray chuckle at the girls' expressions. Avalon sat at the island, stuffing his face with however many pancakes he could fit. His dark blue pajama shirt was covered in sticky syrup and his blue pants were even more full of it.

Nashi breathed in the smell of her aunt's pancakes and sighed before she sat down at the counter beside Avalon, satisfied with the sweet fragrance. Amaya climbed up onto the bar stool beside her. Juvia looked up from the stove and smiled at the two girls. "Good morning, Amaya. How'd you sleep, Nashi?"

The dragon slayer's head rested on the table. "Fine," She yawned. "Thank you."

"And how 'bout you, Amaya?" Gray asked, pouring blueberry syrup on his stack of pancakes.

"Oh it was wonderful! I'd dreamed that I was in Candy Land with the mountains made of Ice Cream, and the river made out of root beer! And my house was made out of gingerbread!" The thought of candy made Nashi's brown eyes twinkle. "And the best part was that Daddy, Mama, Avalon, and Nashi were all with me!"

The water wizard giggled. "Sounds like _somebody_ had too much sugar before they went to bed."

Her daughter smirked innocently and avoided her mother's gaze. "Heh heh, yeah."

The bluenette rolled her eyes and took all eight pancakes off the pan and put them onto a white platter. She poured more batter into the pan and turned the stove down. Nashi stared at the pancakes, attempting to contain her hunger and wait until she got permission from her aunt to eat. "Oh! Take what you like." The water mage exclaimed at her niece's pleading look.

"Thank you." The dragon slayer said, grabbing a plate and stacking two pancakes on it. Amaya imitated her and also put two pancakes on her plate. The two reached for the blueberry syrup at the same time and brought their hands back onto their laps.

"You can have it!" They said in unison. Amaya and Nashi giggled before the dragon slayer poured on the blueberry syrup and the ice wizard poured on the maple syrup.

The whole time the two did their funny little skit, Gray had watched carefully and was now studying their smiling faces. "Nashi? Would you like to stay a bit longer? I need to go see Lucy... if Juvia wouldn't mind watching you three." Juvia nodded her head, signaling Gray that he was free to leave.

Nashi jumped up from her chair and practically flew into her uncle's arms. "Oh thank you Uncle Gray!"

He looked uncomfortably down at her and _accidentally_ let a grin slip from his lips. "Just behave, got it?"

The two girls nodded their heads rapidly and shooed Gray out the door. Juvia giggled as she took the last three pancakes off the pan and turned off the burner. "I heard that Magnolia's Street Fair is opening today, wanna spend the day there?"

Amaya and Avalon's blue eyes widened with excitement and Nashi was bouncing in her chair. "Yeah!" The three shouted in unison.

"We'll go on one condition: you three have to help me clean up." Grins spread across their faces and they quickly, but firmly, agreed to Juvia's request. "Alright then, finish eating, get dressed, brush your teeth, and come back downstairs to help."

Avalon finished his breakfast first -which nobody was surprised by, he _had_ shoved all the pancakes into his mouth. Nashi and Amaya finished soon after he had and rushed up to the bedroom.

The two girls stood in front of Amaya's dresser and searched through all her clothing. "Aha! You can wear this." She unfolded a rosy-pink shirt and handed it to her friend along with a dark pair of jeans. The ice wizard quickly decided what she would wear: A white blouse, black jeans, and a white headband with a blue flower glued onto the left side of it.

The two entered the bathroom as soon as Avalon had scurried downstairs to help his mother. The younger girl picked up her teal blue toothbrush as Nashi stood innocently in the doorway. "Oh!" The ice wizard stood on her tiptoes and searched through the cupboard. She sighed, "I really wish you would've at least packed an overnight bag before you came here. I can't find any toothbrushes."

"It's okay, I'll just use my finger. Do you have any toothpaste I could use?" The ice wizard squirted some onto her toothbrush before handing it to Nashi. "Thank you."

* * *

Juvia, Amaya, Avalon, and Nashi stood at the crowded ticket booth in front of South Gate Park, waiting in line for their tickets to the fair.

"Ugh. This is taking _forever_." Amaya whined.

"I'm so _bored_." Nashi agreed.

Suddenly, the young ice wizard gasped and pointed at a street vendor selling cotton candy. "Mama! Can we get some?"

The water woman sighed and handed the children Jewel. "I guess so. But you have to pay me back with your allowance Jewel, got it?" Her daughter was already at the vendor's cart and purchasing who knows how many bags of cotton candy.

A tap on her shoulder startled Juvia as she turned around to see who had taken her attention away from the twins and Nashi. Her husband grinned brightly as he stood next to Lucy, Ryu holding her finger tight as he stood on the cobblestone street beside his mother. The celestial wizard sighed, "Sorry for all the trouble Nashi has caused you. I guess she just really misses Natsu right now."

"Oh it's alright. Juvia would much rather see a smile on her face than tears." The water wizard replied.

"I guess you're right. It would be nice to see her happy..." The blonde agreed.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So? Please drop a review or PM me. I'd love to talk with some of my lovely followers, so don't be afraid to leave a message. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	8. Chapter Eight: Marshmallows

_Chapter Eight: Marshmallows_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Oh my gosh you guys. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. Writer's block has been my worst enemy for a week now and I was really busy. My sister got the first couple sets of Fairy Tail discs from the library, so we were watching those. And, on top of that, I was trying to finish the last three volumes of Rave Master (The manga before FT that Hiro Mashima wrote) so my friend could read it. But, please tell me how I did with this chapter in a reveiw!  
**

* * *

Nashi and Lucy walked side by side in complete silence on their way to the Dragneel family's apartment. Ryu was happily skipping beside his mother, fascinated by every little thing that caught his eye; A red flower, a woman's hat, even a stuffed dragon (which he'd ran off to grab).

The two females avoided all eye contact with each other and ignored the other's presence. "Mama!" Ryu suddenly pulled on one of his mother's jean legs. She looked down at him as he pointed to a dragon costume. "Me want."

The novelist sighed. "Maybe for Christmas, or your birthday."

"No! Now!" His stubbornness was making Lucy's eyelid twitch in annoyance.

"Ryu. Later."

He huffed before he obeyed the celestial wizard and decided to wait.

Nashi sighed, startling Lucy. The girl brought her gaze off the cobblestone street and at her mother's chocolate eyes. "Mama?" She fiddled with the creases in her pink shirt that she'd forgotten to give back to Amaya. "I've been thinking." This caught Lucy's attention. "Would it really be _that_ bad if you left to go look for Daddy? I mean, there's plenty of people here who would gladly babysit us."

"You do have a point, sweetie. But Daddy told me that if anything happens to him to stay here with you two. If I left, I'd be disobeying his wishes."

"I know. But, you _are_ his wife. You deserve to know that he's safe."

"Nashi, it doesn't work like that. If your father requests something, I'm going to do it. We never know if he's not coming back. Think of it as like, his last wish."

"But... Daddy won't die." She smiled brightly, her canine teeth making it _that_ much cuter. "He's too strong!"

The blonde nodded her head in agreement. "He is strong. But I'm not going to disobey his wishes."

"Okay..." Her daughter sighed.

* * *

The trio reached the apartment and Lucy rummaged through her purse to find the keys as Ryu circled around her with an amused grin on his face. Nashi stared out into the sea of people and thought of when the street fair started two years ago.

 _"Daddy! Look at the silly clown!"_

 _"Oh, yeah! He is pretty funny looking, eh?"_

 _"Yeah!"_

Obviously, she knew that Juvia and Gray always went with the twins. But she missed it just being them. Mama, Daddy, Ryu, and her. They'd done it every year for as long as she could remember, which actually wasn't that long.

"Nashi? Earthland to Nashi." Lucy waved her palm in front of the girl's face, suddenly snatching her out of the train of thought.

The young dragon slayer looked up at her mother. "Yeah?"

"C'mon inside. It's cold. I'll make some hot coco." At the mention of this tasty beverage, Nashi rushed into the apartment and left Lucy in her dust.

The novelist shrugged. "Typical."

When she got upstairs Nashi was sitting at the table patently. The hot chocolate mix container was placed next to her on the table along with three coffee mugs. The bag of marshmallows was opened and Nashi's fist was inside, most likely filled with squished marshmallows.

The dragon slayer's cheeks were rounded and her lips were filled with powered sugar. "Nashi? Did you eat some marshmallows?"

The girl didn't reply, not that she was able too. She grinned innocently at her mother.

"Nashi." The novelist said disapprovingly. "Why are you so obsessed with sugar?" She walked over to the sink and began to fill a kettle of water. She placed it on the stove and turned the dial up to high. Lucy stared at the counter top and waited for her daughter to speak.

Nashi swallowed with a big gulp. "I'm sorry. It just tastes so good. And it helps me take my mind off of Daddy."

Lucy's eyes widened at the mention of her husband.

The girl pulled out a chair and plopped down into it. She set her elbows on the table top and propped her head up in her palm. "I really do miss him, ya know." She brought her gaze off the bag of marshmallows and at her mother's back. "Why didn't you go looking for him?"

The blonde could feel her cheeks become flushed. "Nashi, I already told you. He wanted me to stay here with you two. I'm not going to go against his wishes."

Nashi sighed. "Okay." She got up from the chair and headed down the hallway to the bedroom she shared with Ryu.

Lucy let out a breath of relief as she turned around and looked down at her son playing on the floor. She picked him up and balanced him on her hip, taking the spoons from his hands and placing them on the table. "Ryu, do you think I should go looking for Daddy?"

He rapidly nodded his head, even though he had no idea what was going on.

She shrugged and set him on the floor again. The kettle whistled and startled Lucy. She ran to the stove, turned the burner off, and placed the kettle on the table. She poured the hot liquid into the three mugs filled with hot chocolate mix and stirred them. "Nashi! It's ready!"

The dragon slayer came running and sat in a chair before taking a mug. Ryu sipped his slowly as he sat on his mother's lap. A large stack of papers were placed in front of Lucy beside a quail pen. Nashi leaned over to the other side of the table to get a better view of what her mother was writing. "What's this one about?"

"Well, Kanaco, a fifteen year old boy, joins a guild named Crystal Line. He meets this girl named Kirami and falls in love. Three years pass and Kirami leaves on a job with her brother and sister. She doesn't make it back, and Kanaco's entire world falls apart when he hears of her death. He makes a grave for her and visits it daily." Nashi intently listens to her mother's soft words and urges her to go on. "Sorry, Nashi. But that's as far as I've gotten so far."

"Awww," She whines.

"Anyway, it's getting pretty late. It's time for you to get some shuteye." The two stood up and Lucy carried the sleeping Ryu into the dragon slayers' bedroom. She tucked Ryu into his bed and kissed his forehead. Nashi waits on the carpeting for her goodnight before climbing up to bed. "Goodnight." Lucy walked out the door before shutting it behind her.

The blonde scurried into her bedroom and glanced out the window before climbing into bed. _I'm alright tonight, Gray._ She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note: How was this chapter? Please drop a reveiw. I love you guys so much!  
**


	9. Chapter Nine: In Sickness And In Health

_Chapter Nine: In Sickness And In Health_

* * *

 **A** **uthor's Note: I'm back you guys! You have no idea how good it feels to be writing again! I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but I will finish the To Be Lucky series for AcidRain1698 and myself! I simply must finish it! :)  
**

 **Anyway, please leave a reveiw on this chapter guys. And thanks to those of you who have been with me from the beginning. You all are truly precious to me, and I love every single one of you fans. Well, see ya later!**

* * *

*Cough cough*

"Ugh." Lucy opened one eye and glanced at the clock. "It's only 4:15?" She groaned.

*Cough*

"What's wrong with me?" She climbed out of bed and tip-toed into the bathroom before sealing the door closed behind her and flipping the light switch on. The light blinded her, making Lucy close her eyelids shut tightly. She flicked the light switch off and turned the nightlight on. "Ahh," She sighed. "Much better."

She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. Her eyes carried heavy black bags underneath them, her neck red and soar. The celestial wizard brought her gaze to her nose, red underneath her nostrils. "Ugh." Her voice was already cutting out, sounding raspier every moment. She trudged back into bed, sighing when her back hit the bed sheets. "Well, just have to see how I feel in the morning." And with that, the celestial wizard drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Mama!" Someone hissed in Lucy's ear. "Mama!"

Lucy opened one weary eye, groaning when she saw Ryu sitting on the bed beside her. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Me hungry."

The novelist groaned again and climbed out of bed, feeling a sudden drowsiness. She fell back into bed and crawled under the covers. Shivering, she said, "Hey, Ryu? Can you get Nashi and send her in, please?"

The little dragon slayer nodded and skipped out of his parents' bedroom. A few moments later, Nashi stumbled in. "Good morning, Mama."

"Nashi. Can you call Uncle Gray and Wendy too? I think I'm sick."

"Sure thing." Nashi stepped into the hallway and closed her mother's door behind her. The dragon slayer made her way towards the kitchen, Ryu following behind her. Nashi jumped up onto the counter top and began to dial her uncle's phone number.

"Hello?" Juvia asked on the other end.

"Hi, Auntie. Mama said she wants Uncle Gray to come by. She thinks she's sick." Nashi wrapped the phone cord around her index finger impatiently.

"Of course. I'll send him over with some soup." The water mage assured.

"Thanks!" She unwrapped the cord now. "Oh! Can you call Wendy too and send her over? Mama wants Wendy too."

"Alright, sweetie. I'll send them over. Bye, Nashi."

"Bye, Auntie!"

* * *

A knock at the door told Nashi and Ryu that they were here. But before she could even open the door, Gray, Romeo, and Wendy rushed in. The sky dragon slayer kicked off her shoes and ran up the stairs to Lucy's bedroom. Gray flooded in afterwords. And Romeo lingered in the entry way before heading to the living room and playing with Ryu.

Nashi stood in the doorway of her mother's room, watching Wendy carefully. Gray turned around, spotted the girl, and tried to hide his grin.

His movement made Wendy loose her concentration, and she turned to Nashi. "Nashi, can you please go into the living room with Romeo and Ryu. I don't want you to get sick if Lucy-san has something contagious, okay?"

The young dragon slayer nodded in response, closing the bedroom door and trudging out to the living room.

"Hi, Nashi!" Romeo waved, tickling Ryu's belly. Nashi looked at the floor, where her brother was laying. He was squealing like a restless piglet.

She didn't reply. She threw herself onto the couch instead, making Romeo alarmed.

"Hey. What's up, Nashi?"

She stuffed her face into the couch cushion.

"C'mon. You can tell me, right?"

Nashi shook her head.

Romeo stood up and plopped down beside her on the edge of the couch. "Nashi, what's on your mind?" He gently rubbed the girl's back, making the dragon slayer cringe at the touch of his fingertips.

Giving up, Nashi sighed. She flipped over on her back and looked up at Romeo, tears filling her eyes. "Everything's on my mind. Daddy's gone and maybe even dead. Mama's sick, and me and Ryu are all alone in the world. Everything's falling apart. My _world_ is falling apart." She grabbed onto Romeo's shirt and clutched the cloth in her fists. "Why is everything leaving me?!"

Romeo was silent. He had absolutely nothing to say. Nashi was right, everything _was_ falling apart. Instead of speaking, he bent down and hugged her. Nashi held tightly to him, sobbing into his chest as Romeo stroked her head. He patted his knee, signaling Ryu to join them. Gradually, the toddler jumped up onto the couch and held his older sister tight.

The three separated when Nashi finished shedding tears. Romeo rested his hands on the girl's shoulders, "You and Ryu will make it through this, okay? Natsu will be back soon, I promise. We won't stop searching for him."

Nashi nodded.

"Now, keep your head held high, and Natsu will be home in no time."

She dried her tears with her sleeve. "Alright."

Suddenly, Wendy burst into the living room, looking at Romeo as she smiled. "Lucy-san is alright. She's just a little shaken up." She turned to Ryu and Nashi. "And you two are going to have another sibling. Lucy-san is pregnant."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, guys. The Dragneel family is continuing to grow, eh? Lucy's going to have another baby! I've been waiting forever to finally reveal this! But, guys, thank you for sticking with me this long. I love you all! Please leave a review, guys! I'll see you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter Ten: Surprise!

_Chapter Ten: Surprise!_

* * *

 **Author's Note: We're at chapter ten! I never thought I would make it this far with story, guys. It's all thanks to you lovely readers that the story was able to continue this far! I love every single one of you fans, and I love reading the reviews. Speaking of reviews, don't forget to leave one! See you later! :D**

* * *

Lucy sat on the kitchen counter the next night at approximately nine-thirty, the telephone resting on her shoulder and wedged underneath her cheek. "Oh! I can't wait to tell Natsu!" She squealed. "He's going to be so excited!"

"I still can't believe you're pregnant again, Lu-chan." Levy grinned on the other side of the phone line. "I can't wait to see the guild members' faces. It's going to be hilarious." Levy flipped over on her stomach as she laid on the sofa at her house, giggling at the image of Fairy Tail's member's faces.

"Definitely," Lucy agreed. "I think I'll have to tell Juvia and Gray, then Erza and Jellal, and then Master Macorav and the rest of the guild. Oh! I can't forget about Mirajane, she'd want to know before the guild too."

"Of course Mira would. She's too nosy for her own good." Levy giggled. "And we might be too."

Lucy echoed her friend's laugh. "Yeah. We probably are." The blonde sighed, jumping off the counter. "I should probably get going. Ryu and Nashi are going to be coming back from Erza's soon. If she ever decides to give them back to me."

"I'd better go, too. Gajeel, Nami, and Kairi are going to be expecting me in bed soon."

"See you later, Levy-chan." Lucy smiled.

"Bye, Lu-chan."

Lucy hung up the phone, placing it on the charger beside the stove. She sighed, "How am I supposed to tell Natsu? Nobody has any God damn idea where he is."

The front door suddenly slammed open. "We're home, Mama!" Nashi shouted, running up the stairs and hugging her mother. Jellal and Erza stood in the entry way, Ryu in Erza's arms.

Lucy smiled, taking Ryu from Erza. The toddler moved his mother's blonde bangs out of her chocolate eyes. "How were they?"

Erza chuckled. "They were wonderful. Ryu was quite cooperative and Nashi was too tired to even notice she was there."

"That's good to hear. As of late they've been a handful for me."

"I believe it's just because they're anxious for Natsu to return." Erza exclaimed.

"You're probably right." The novelist sighed.

A frown crossed Erza's face when she saw her comrade's expression. The swordswoman knew Lucy missed Natsu too, and she was growing impatient with her husband's return. "Well," Erza began, standing up straighter. "We should probably get going, Jellal. We're going out on a job request soon."

The celestial wizard knew the red-head was lying. She knew the couple was going out looking for her beloved again. "Best of luck, you two."

"Thank you, Lucy. We'll need it." Jellal smiled, opening the front door for his wife. After Erza stepped outside, he followed after her, closing the door behind him.

Lucy turned around, noticing Nashi impatiently bouncing around on the light brown carpet. The blonde giggled, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I have a secret." Nashi's smile widened, exposing her canine teeth.

"Well, can you tell me this secret?" The celestial wizard sat down on the couch, placing Ryu on her lap.

"Nope." The petite dragon slayer jumped onto the soft couch beside her mother, bouncing even higher than before.

The blonde smiled. "You're definitely Natsu Dragneel's daughter." She mumbled to herself. Sitting up straight, Lucy's voice grew louder. "Alright, guys. time for bed."

"Aww," Nashi whined. "Can I please stay up later?"

"No, you've had three late nights already. And Erza said you were asleep most of the two days you were gone. It's time for you to sleep."

"Alright," Nashi stood from the couch, making her way to the bedroom.

Lucy smiled before sighing, looking at a sleeping Ryu in her arms. "And we thought you were going to be the monster." She tenderly whispered in his ear. The blonde stood from the couch and walked into her children's bedroom, placing Ryu in his bed and pulling the covers up to his chin.

Nashi stood on the carpeting beside the ladder leading to her bed. "Goodnight, Mama." The young dragon slayer said, hugging her mother around the waist.

"Good night, sweetie." Lucy stood up straight, watching as Nashi climbed up the ladder. "I'll see you in the morning." Lucy waved good-bye and closed the door behind her.

Now, entering her bedroom, she looked outside the window, noticing Gray standing outside he gestured to the ground. She knew he wanted her outside, so the blonde threw on her bathrobe and slippers, and made her way to the entry way. She opened the oak door and stepped into the night's chill. "Nice evening tonight, huh?"

Before Lucy could continue with her statement, Gray exploded. "Lucy! Sting and Rouge got a lead on Natsu and Happy!" A large smile spread across Gray's face, which was extremely rare to see.

The news left Lucy's mouth agape, which slowly became a smile. She jumped into Gray's arms and hugged him tight. "Tell me more, Gray!"

Gray grabbed his friend's shoulders and pushed her away, the smile still on his face. "They didn't tell me any details, other than they're not far behind him." Gray's smile widened. "They're coming home, Lucy!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Alright guys, I've posted a new chapter! It's going by really quick, huh? How many months has the story been going on? Anyway, I know you're all going to be excited for next chapter. I have more surprises up my sleeve (not that I'm wearing sleeves anyway). Trust me, I'm going to be getting a lot of reviews next chapter. I hope you're all satisfied with what I've written so far, and if not, I'm really sorry. My writing is not near as good as Acid's. But, I'm only twelve. And she's nineteen now. Of course I'm not going to be as good as she is!  
**

 **Anyway, please leave a comment on this chapter, guys. I love you all! :D**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Nightmares

_Chapter Eleven: Nightmares_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Wow! Sabertooth found a lead on Natsu! YAY! Our dragon slayer might be returning to Lucy and the guild! But, I'm sorry to tell you, you're going to have to wait for the mystery. I'm trying to push it off until as far as possible, so this chapter is taking place right after the last one. No time skip here. Anyway, please leave a review! I love every single one of you guys! And if you ever wanna chat, don't be afraid to PM me. See you later! :)**

* * *

 _"They're coming home, Lucy!"_

Lucy smiled as she climbed back into bed, remembering the moment Gray told her Natsu and Happy were coming home. She sighed, finally feeling safe for the first time in a month, at the very least.

 _Natsu is coming home!_ Lucy thought. _I'm finally getting to see him._ And with the comforting thought, she fell asleep...

* * *

 _"Natsu! Natsu! Where is he?!" Lucy shouted._

 _Gray held her back from the infirmary, from Natsu. "Lucy! Calm down!"_

 _"I need to see him! Let me see my husband!" She kicked and screamed, summoning spirits to help her reach her beloved. Each and every one of them sat in the guild, an understanding expression on their faces. They knew if Lucy saw him, she would never forgive herself. And that she'd never get over allowing him to leave._

 _"Lucy. It's Natsu for God's sake. He'll be fine..." Loke assured, trying to share a weak smile. "He'll be alright." His voice became wavy in the last sentence, showing Lucy and the guild that he's lost hope as well._

 _The blonde finally understood her comrades and stopped kicking, noticing Wendy and Porlyusica standing in the hallway leading to the infirmary. Wendy's brown eyes became glossy as she tried to choke out words. "Natsu-san is-" She couldn't speak any longer. The sky dragon slayer burst into tears, escaping to the infirmary._

 _The Fairy Tail guild turned to Porlyusica, an unsure look on her pale face. "I'm afraid to say," She gulped, the guild becoming impatient with her. She cleared her throat, beginning again, "His body strangely refused the medicine, and Wendy's healing magic refused to work on him as well. Natsu is-"_

 _"No!" Lucy screamed, falling to her knees in sudden despair. "He's not dead!" She jumped out of Gray's grip and ran into the infirmary, stopping in the doorway when she noticed Natsu's bloody corpse on the bed._

 _Wendy stood beside him, tears racing down her face. "Oh, Lucy-san. You weren't supposed to see him."_

 _Gray burst into the room, stopping in the doorway behind Lucy. "C'mon, Lucy. You're not supposed to be in here."_

 _The blonde wanted to fight, wanted to see her husband's body, to kiss him, but she was too shocked to even notice Gray and Loke dragging her away..._

* * *

"Ah!" Lucy jerked awake, panting hard like she'd been running a marathon. She brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing away the sweat on it. The blonde lay awake in bed for a few moments before rising from the comforting sheets and entering the dim kitchen.

Rummaging through the cupboards, Lucy tried to push away her nightmare. She just couldn't ruin the exciting news with a _nightmare_. Natsu was hopefully coming home, and now she was having dreams about his death? Shouldn't she be dreaming about his return?

After filling up a glass of water, Lucy plopped down onto the sofa. She played with Natsu's scarf between her fingers, sipping the water slowly. Although she was tired, Lucy refused to fall asleep. What if Natsu came through the window while she was sleeping? What if she missed a mere second with him? All these questions lulled the celestial wizard into a daydream, and she recalled the day he left:

 _It was a chilly September night as Natsu rolled out of the couple's bed. "Luce." He shook his wife gently, being as quiet as he possibly could as not to wake Nashi and Ryu. "Luce, I've got to leave."_

 _His wife rolled over to face him, groaning in the sudden light of the lamp that Natsu had just turned on. "Not yet, just wait a little longer? Please?" She grasped for her husband's warm hand, and he took hers._

 _Natsu shook his head. "I've really got to go. I'm going to miss the train to Oshibana." He tip-toed over to one of Lucy's drawers, shaking Happy awake. "C'mon, bud. We've got to go."_

 _Happy jumped out of the drawer, flying up to his friend's shoulder and bouncing on it like a child on Christmas. "Aye, sir!" He chirped._

 _Lucy rolled out of bed, not wanting to allow her husband to leave. She followed him into the entry way, and he stopped there. His pause startled the blonde, and a concerned look crossed her sleepy face. "Natsu?"_

 _Natsu avoided her gaze, staring at the floor. "Luce," Now he looked into her chocolate eyes. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled his wife into a hug. "If I don't come back for awhile... just stay where you are. The way you are, okay? Take care of Nashi and Ryu for me, and never lose faith in me. I'll be back whenever I can." He pulled away and walked out the door. Of course, it was raining cats and dogs outside, and Lucy debated if she wanted to run out and kiss him or not._

 _"Natsu wait!" The blonde ran out into the rainy night, only wearing her purple basketball shorts and a black tank-top. Her feet were bare and scraping along the cobblestone streets of Magnolia, but she continued to run._

 _At the shout of his name, Natsu turned around. Without having time to think, Lucy jumped into his arms._

 _"Promise me, Natsu. That you'll make it back alive. That you'll be fine." She said into his shoulder. "Promise me." Now the tears began to fall, and Lucy couldn't quite understand why she was crying._

 _"I promise I'll make it back home alive." The dragon slayer hugged her tight before carrying her back to their apartment. "Now just stay here with the kids, okay? I'll be back in two weeks tops."_

 _Lucy weakly nodded before Natsu pulled her into their last kiss for the night. They pulled away and Natsu turned back to road, where Happy waited on the sidewalk. With tears falling into Lucy's hands, she whispered to herself, "I'll be right here, waiting for you."  
_

* * *

 **Author's Note: What?! Another chapter so soon? I just couldn't let you guys suffer! I'd feel really bad! Plus, I got two permanent teeth pulled today, so I got a bunch of time to write. Don't be surprised if there's another one tomorrow. :D**

 **I'm sorry it was short, but it revealed the adorable moment when Natsu left Lucy. Plus, I wanted to read the story, too. So I'm doing this for you guys and myself. :)** **Anyway, please leave a review for this chapter. I love every single one of you! Bye!**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Baby Names?

_Chapter Twelve: Baby Names?_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you for all the kind words, guys! I didn't think last chapter was that great, so I'm hoping to come out with another one soon, which _should_ be the best surprise of all. I'd better let you read the chapter. Please leave a review! :)**

* * *

Lucy awoke the next morning with the smell of fresh pancakes, eggs, and frying bacon. The familiar smells startled her, considering Nashi and Ryu didn't know how to make these advanced breakfast dishes by themselves. She sat up, advancing to the kitchen in a rush to discover the wonderful smells.

Standing at the stove was Levy. Nami, balanced on her hip, was smiling at the blonde. Gajeel was sitting at the table beside Kairi, Nashi, and Ryu. Noticing Lucy, Levy looked up from the pan of cooking eggs. "Morning, Lu-chan." She took the eggs out of the pan and scooped them onto a plate. "How'd you sleep?"

"G-good." Lucy stuttered.

"That's great!" Levy exclaimed, cracking another three eggs into the pan. She flipped the pancakes in another pan, scooping them onto Nashi's plate.

Lucy stared at her friend, "Levy-chan?" The bluenette looked up. "Might I ask, why you're here?" The celestial wizard sat down at the table beside Nashi, picking up Ryu and setting him on her lap. "It isn't everyday you wake up to see your best friend and her husband in your house cooking breakfast."

Levy giggled. "I guess." She took Nami off her hip and placed the baby in Gajeel's lap, the child giggling happily. She looked up at her blonde friend. "We're here for the baby!"

"Who?" Lucy scratched her head in confusion.

"Your baby, of course, Lu-chan!" Levy sang, pointing at the celestial wizard's stomach.

Lucy blushed in embarrassment. "R-right. I forgot about it."

"Oh, Lu-chan." Levy giggled. The solid script wizard put a plate in front of Lucy, and the blonde began to inhale the food instead of eating it.

"Levy-chan! This is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Thank you."

* * *

After breakfast, Levy invited the family to come along with them to the guild. Lucy accepted the offer, and now the two were headed to Fairy Tail. Lucy stepped into the guild, the members congratulating her.

"Thank you," Lucy smiled politely, sitting down beside Juvia, Levy, Wendy, and Mirajane at a table. Nashi, Kairi, Amaya, Ryu, and Avalon played with Master Makarov at the bar, the five sipping juice slowly. Nami sat in Levy's lap.

"Hey, Lucy?" Juvia began. "Have you thought about any names for the baby yet?"

"Well, I was considering Kaen for a boy's name and Remi for a girl's name. It really depends on what Natsu wants. It _is_ his baby too. I can't just name his baby without him knowing it. It would be simply insane!" Lucy said.

"And rude." Wendy added.

"True," Mirajane agreed. "If the baby is Natsu's, he should have a say in the baby's name."

"Then again, Nashi named Ryu. And Lu-chan named Nashi. He should have the right to name the next baby." Levy explained.

"Right again." Juvia said.

Lucy sighed. "I'm just afraid. What if Natsu isn't home by the time the baby is born? Then who will name it? Ryu? Or Nashi?" The female wizards looked around at each other. They shared the same fear Lucy did. What if Natsu wasn't back? What if he doesn't even come back?

All the women sighed in the same moment, then exchanged nervous glances. Lucy slumped down in the bench and laid her head on the guild's wooden table.

"Mama! Mama!" Nashi shouted, skipping to her mother's side.

"Yes, sweetie?" Lucy asked curiously, raising her head to look at Nashi.

"Me and Amaya are having a magic competition, and Amaya made something pretty. But then Ryu sneezed and fire came out. He ruined it." Nashi explained. "It was the Fairy Tail guild mark, too. And Ryu ruined it."

Lucy giggled. "That seems about right. He is a little monster."

"Can you take him for awhile? So me and Amaya can finish our match." Nashi pleaded.

"Sure." Lucy stood from the bench and walked over to Ryu and Avalon. "C'mon, baby." She picked up her son, balanced him on her hip, and walked back to the girls.

"Well, it's getting pretty late." Levy said. "Gajeel, Kairi, and I should probably get going. Nami is half-asleep already."

"Awww, Levy." Juvia whined. "Please don't leave."

"Sorry, Juvia. I've got to make supper and put Nami to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow." And with that, Levy, Gajeel, Kairi, and Nami left.

"I've got to head home, too." Lucy said.

"Not you too, Lucy." Juvia whined again.

The blonde smiled. "Nashi! It's time to go." She looked back down at Juvia. "Bye, Juvia."

* * *

The walk home was silent and the evening was dark. Lucy and Nashi hurried home, a sleeping Ryu lying in his mother's arms. "Mama?" Nashi cleared her throat. "When is Daddy coming home? I heard from Uncle Gray that Sting and Rouge found a clue of his whereabouts. But, when is he coming back?"

Lucy sighed. "We'll talk about this in the morning, okay?" The blonde turned onto Strawberry Street, her daughter following.

"Okay," Nashi sighed as she grabbed the house keys from her mother's palm. The dragon slayer unlocked the Dragneel's apartment, and opened the door for her mother and brother.

"Thank you, Nashi." The blonde closed the door, kicked off her gray flats, and made her way into Nashi and Ryu's bedroom. Entering the room, she flicked on the lamp and laid Ryu in his bed.

Nashi entered then, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed. "Goodnight, Mama. I hope you have good dreams."

Lucy smiled as she stopped in the doorway. "You too, baby."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm really sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy. School is coming to an end, and I've had MCAs. Plus, I have tons of chores at home to do. Ugh. I haven't had any time to write lately. And, as usual, I've had writer's block. I'm trying to hold out the story as long as I can, but I don't want it to end. But, it's a thing that has to be done for AcidRain and myself. As for all of you lovely readers out there, thank you for waiting for me. I love you all. And please leave a review, guys! I love the kind words! Bye!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Home

_Chapter Thirteen: Home_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hello! I'm finally ready with another chapter! It took me forever to write, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out! I love you guys so much, so I'll try to post more often now that school is coming to an end.  
**

 **Anyway, please leave a reveiw for me! Love ya!**

* * *

The next morning was a bright one for Lucy, considering Gray had stopped over last night explaining Natsu's situation. She couldn't wait for him to come home. She couldn't wait to kiss him, to tell him the baby surprise, and to smell his campfire scent again.

She hadn't told Nashi and Ryu the news yet, and the only people who knew about his return was Gray, Sting, Rouge, Yukino, Frosch, Lector, and herself.

She was planning on telling the kids over a breakfast of waffles. She knew they'd be excited, and she simply couldn't wait to see their faces. Of course, Ryu wouldn't understand that much at two years old, but Nashi, on the other hand, would be skipping around the kitchen table with excitement.

"Well, "Lucy mumbled to herself. "I'd better get started..." She grabbed the large cast-iron pan from the cupboard and placed it on a burner, cracking six eggs in it. She snatched another pan, beginning to fry bacon in it.

"Morning, Mama." Nashi yawned behind the blonde as she jumped up onto the counter. The dragon slayer grabbed the pancake mix and began making it in a bowl.

"Waffles today, honey." Lucy said, stirring the eggs.

"Alright," Nashi got out the waffle maker, plugged it in, poured in the batter, and flipped it upside down. She jumped off the counter and grabbed three plates, cups, forks, and napkins to set the table with.

"Thank you for all your help, Nashi. I know I say it all the time, but I really do appreciate all the help lately. With your father gone and the new baby, it's been difficult to make proper meals. But, being the little trooper that you are, you keep on marching through. Thanks, honey." Lucy grinned, turned off the burner, and placed the egg pan on a hot-pad on the center of the table. "I'd better go wake up Ryu." She muttered to herself.

Now, the blonde walked into the sleeping Ryu's 'den' and shook him awake. She set him on his feet, held his hand, and walked into the kitchen with him. "Such a Mama's boy," Nashi muttered.

Lucy grinned at her daughter's annoyance as she lifted Ryu into a chair. "Waffles, eggs, and bacon this morning, baby." She cooed.

"Yummy." Ryu whispered, grabbing his little fork. Lucy scooped him a bit of eggs and one waffle.

"Ah! The bacon!" She jumped up from her seat and took the bacon off the stove. She turned it off and made her way to the table, setting it down on another hot-pad.

"This is really good." Nashi said through a mouthful of waffles.

"Thank you." Lucy cleared her throat. "I have something to tell you both." She swallowed the bit of eggs still left in her mouth, Nashi and Ryu staring at her with curious eyes. "Your father has been gone for quite some time now, correct?" They both nodded their heads. "I'd gotten word from Gray last night saying Sting, Rouge, and Yukino had found him. And they're bringing him back home to us!"

The children's brown eyes lit up at the news, jumping in their seats with excitement. "Daddy's coming home! Daddy's coming home!" Nashi skipped around the kitchen island, showing off her canine teeth through her smile.

"He's supposed to be coming back in two days. So we have to plan a Welcome Home party with Levy, Erza, Juvia, and Mirajane." Lucy explained. "Now, sit back down and finish eating. We'll have to start right away."

* * *

The next day-and-a-half had been busy, barely giving the girls any time for themselves. Lucy was up all two nights planning the food, decorations, dresses and suits, and even the drinks. Levy, Juvia, Erza, and Mira had bought the supplies. They were busy setting up the guild now.

Natsu was scheduled to return within three hours, and they were almost finished with everything. Lucy had planned all the outfits, and now Juvia, Mirajane, Erza, Lucy, and Levy were coming out of the guild's dressing rooms.

Lucy was dressed in a sparkly, sky-blue mini-dress, gray flats, and diamond earrings. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a French-braid, her bangs hanging in front of her chocolate eyes. "Do I look okay?" She asked.

Levy, dressed in a yellow top with a V-neck, a white mini-skirt, knee-high brown boots, a golden bracelet, and a white head band, sighed. "Of course you do, Lu-chan. You can rock _anything_."

"Right." Juvia agreed. Her lavender mini-dress swayed as she walked, and her black flats skidded across the floor. Her hair was just simply let down and curled.

"Is this what you wanted, Lucy?" Mirajane asked as she stepped out from behind the bar. She was dressed in a long, sparkly, red dress and white sandals. Her bangs were in her eyes, and her hair was done up in a fishtail braid.

"It's perfect, Mira." Erza said as she walked over to the other four women. She was wearing a knee-high pink dress, silver ankle-boots, and silver earrings. Her hair was put up in a long pony-tail.

"Thank you all for your help. I never could've done this by myself." Lucy thanked.

"Mama?" Nashi interrupted her mother as she walked out of the dressing room wearing a white dress and white flats. Amaya and Kairi stood next to her, both wearing the same thing as Nashi.

"Yes, baby?" Lucy asked.

"Is Daddy almost here? I hate wearing dresses. The sooner Daddy gets here the sooner I can take this thing off." Nashi sighed as her mother shook her head. The three girls walked over to where Master Macorav sat at the bar, being served by a very busy Mirajane.

"Lucy? Did I do this right?" Gray asked, stepping out from the men's dressing room. He was wearing an all black suit, a white undershirt, and a black bow-tie.

"You look just fine." Lucy said to Jellal, Gray, and Gajeel. They all wore the same suit. Avalon and Ryu were dressed identically to the older men, too. "Now all we have to do is wait..."

Startling the guild, the doors opened up, sending in a breeze from the outside world. Sting and Rouge, both dressed in the same suits as Gray, Gajeel, Jellal, Avalon, and Ryu, stepped into the guild. Yukino came in too, dressed in a knee-high white dress, gray flats, and a blue headband. Nothing was done to her white hair.

Following close behind them, with a large smile on his face, was a familiar man. His rosy-pink hair made him easily noticeable. He too, was dressed in a tuxedo matching Gray's.

"Welcome Home, Natsu!" Lucy ran up into her husband's arms, hugging him as tight as she could.

"It's good to be home!" Natsu shouted. He hugged his wife tightly, then whispered in her ear. "I'll never leave you again like that..."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry if the chapter seemed rushed, but I can't think of any other details to put into it. But, our beloved Natsu has returned home to Lucy and the guild! That's something to celebrate about!  
**

 **Alright, back on track. I'd love it if you fans would leave a reveiw! I should be coming with chapters more often now that school ends on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. So be expecting more chapters quickly. :D**

 **See ya later!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Gifts For Them

_Chapter Fourteen: Gifts For Them_

* * *

 **Author's Note: What?! Another chapter so soon?! I couldn't just leave ya hanging there on the cliff last chapter! :D  
**

* * *

Lucy awoke to the smell of sweet candles burning, smelling like gingerbread cookies. It's been three months since Natsu returned, and Christmas was just around the corner. It was December 20th, and the kids were already bouncing off the walls. **  
**

"C'mon, Sleeping Beauty." Natsu cooed from the bedroom door. "Time for some Christmas shopping. Erza just picked up Nashi and Ryu."

"Just a bit longer, Natsu. The baby was kicking all night, and it finally calmed down. Just ten more minutes." Lucy pleaded.

"Fine. Ten minutes. I'll make some coffee." And with that, Natsu walked out of the room and into the kitchen. He felt horrible for getting her pregnant again. He doesn't even remember doing _it_. He poured the coffee beans into the pot just as he heard the toilet flush. He hadn't even heard Lucy get out of bed, much less hear her throwing up. It reminded him about her pregnancy with Nashi. She'd been pretending she was sick for over a week, but she was really pregnant with their first child.

Thinking back, he always felt bad about making her pregnant. She had to deal with morning sickness, the baby kicking, and just the baby in general. And he can't to anything for her until it's born. That's why he always does most of the work when the baby is born, considering she has to deal with the kid for nine months. The least he can do is take care of it for another nine months.

"Alright, Natsu. I'm ready." Lucy stepped out of the bedroom, breaking Natsu's thoughts. He looked over to her, smiling at the sight of his wife. She was dressed in gray leggings and a white sweater. Her hair was down, just the way he liked it.

"Okay." Natsu turned off the coffee pot as his wife slid on a pair of black winter boots and a pink jacket, the one from Mount Hakobe.

The two set out on their walk through Magnolia's snowy wonderland, their pockets packed with Jewel. "So," Natsu began. "What were you thinking about getting the kids for Christmas."

"Well," Lucy paused for a minute, thinking about it. "Nashi has been into reading lately, so I wanted to get her some chapter books. I was thinking about some of my favorites, but all of them were too hard. So Levy said she'd pick some up."

"Okay..." Natsu said. "What about Ryu?"

"He'll play with just about anything we put in front of him. I remember him eyeing up some dragon stuffed animals yesterday. And he wanted some of the action figures at Merlin's Toy Store."

Natsu nodded his head in agreement. He stopped walking and turned to his wife. "What about you?"

Lucy shrugged, "I don't really need anything, Natsu. You've already given me everything I've ever wanted. Buy stuff for the kids."

"Luce..." The dragon slayer sighed. "You've been dealing without me for a month. I want to make up for that."

"Fine, then. Just surprise me. I could always use some new clothes for the baby." The blonde said, speeding up.

"Alright." Natsu said.

* * *

After three hours of shopping, Natsu and Lucy returned home with the _perfect_ gifts. They'd bought Nashi a new desk, a new chair for it, and fifteen new books. Plus writing paper, colored pencils, a new drawing book, and new pencils.

Ryu, on the other hand, will receive a new dragon plushy at three feet tall, eight action figures including Gray Fullbuster, Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel, Wendy Marvell, Erza Fernandez, Lucy Dragneel, Happy, and Carla, and a wooden toy train. His dragon footy-pajamas are also included.

"Natsu, can you help me wrap these?" Lucy asked, beginning to wrap Ryu's action figures.

"Sure thing." Natsu sat down beside her, handing his wife a warm cup of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." Lucy smiled, sipping the drink slowly.

 **Later That Day...**

By the end of two hours of wrapping gifts, Natsu and Lucy were finished, and Nashi and Ryu were returning any minute now. It was snowing outside, as it was all day.

"Hey, Natsu..." Lucy said, sitting on the sofa beside her husband. "I was thinking. If we're going to have a baby, how are we going to fit them all in the house? We only have two bedrooms, and we can't have all three kids sleeping in the same room when they get older. The new baby is going to want to have a bedroom to sleep in. And the kid can't stay in our room for the rest of it's life. Natsu, we need another bedroom."

"I was thinking about that too, Luce..." Natsu said. "And I came up with something." Natsu had his wife's full attention now. "What if I build a room downstairs. We have plenty of room in the entry way, and the baby can share a room with Ryu. Nashi can move downstairs when it's born."

"That's a wonderful idea, baby. We should probably start building soon. It won't be very long before we have a third monster running around." Lucy smiled at the thought.

"We'll talk about this later. I hear Nashi and Ryu outside the door. Let's go." Natsu helped his wife off the couch and they walked into the entry way, greeting the two as they walked in the door.

* * *

"Thanks, Mama! Thanks, Daddy!" It was Christmas morning as Nashi hugged her parents for the gifts. "I can't wait to put this in my new bedroom!"

The couple had already told Nashi and Ryu the plan, although Ryu hadn't a clue about what's going on. "You're welcome, Amai." Natsu said.

Ryu played with his action figures on the floor, but he'd thanked them earlier.

"Alright, time to head to the guild. I've heard the Master has surprises for you, along with Erza and Jellal, Gray and Juvia, Levy and Gajeel, and Mirajane."

"Best Christmas ever." Nashi said as the family walked out into the snowy winds.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I know, I know. It's not even close to Christmas. But whatever, I wanted to do this chapter. But, please leave a reveiw, guys! I love you all!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Getting Ready

_Chapter Fifteen: Getting Ready_

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 **Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I've been really busy with babysitting and friends. I can't believe it's only two weeks into summer and I already miss my friends like crazy! I died the tips of my hair blue yesterday, so I didn't get to write. But I hope this chapter is okay. Please tell me in a review!**

* * *

"Luce, you okay?" Natsu asked through the bathroom door.

"Yeah..." The blonde said. "Just bad morning sickness." She flushed the toilet and opened the door. The date is January 3rd at 10:03, and the blonde has been in the bathroom all morning.

"Mira says we're having brunch at the guild. Every family is bringing something. What do you want to make?" The fire wizard walked into the kitchen, Lucy following close behind. "Juvia came to pick up Nashi and Ryu earlier on their way to the guild. We'll meet them there at noon."

"Why don't you make something, Natsu. I'm exhausted. Wake me up at 11:30." Lucy trudged back into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Okay..." Natsu mumbled. He began to dig through their pantry, searching for anything to make. "I could make pancakes or waffles. But there will be plenty of those. Bacon? Sausage? Eggs?" He shook his head. "No way." He sighed as he moved to the fridge. "All we have is fruit..." He stood up straight, running a hand through his hair. "That'll have to do."

He pulled out the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and grapes. He threw them into a large glass bowl, mixing them together.

 _Any dip I could make?_ He thought, rummaging through the fridge for vanilla and whipped cream. _Aha!_ He pulled the two out and mixed them together, poured it over the fruit mixture, and stirred them together.

When he finished, he put the bowl into the fridge and waited for noon.

* * *

"I'm starving." Lucy said as they approached the guild's large doors. "This one's got your appetite, Natsu." She gestured to her stomach.

Natsu chuckled. "I _hope_ it's got your hair. We have enough pink haired freaks."

The blonde smiled. "You aren't a freak. You're a _stupid immature_ freak."

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu brushed off the insult and kissed her passionately. He opened the doors for everyone to see, grinning between his and Lucy's lips.

"Awwwww," The guild cooed, making Lucy's entire face blush bright red.

"Natsu, you idiot!" She slapped him playfully across the face and stomped off into the guild hall.

"Ha-ha," Gray chuckled as he approached Natsu. "Good one."

Natsu smirked. "I've been waiting to do that to her forever. It feels like it's been so long since she slapped me. I kinda missed it."

"You'll get plenty of scolding from her when the new baby is born. You know how she gets when she's pregnant. Juvia was more clingy when she was pregnant with Amaya and Avalon." Gray explained. "Can't wait 'till you have to go through all the pain."

"Shut up, Ice Princess." Natsu said, punching him in the shoulder.

"You wanna go at it, Flame Brain?!" And with that, the two mages entered a full-out brawl.

Lucy sighed as she approached the two, grabbed them both by one ear, and pulled them apart. "Knock it off, you two. You're grown men who have a wife and kids. Stop acting like filthy children." She dropped their ears and walked back to the table to sit beside Juvia.

"You sure showed them." The water wizard said, pointing over to the boys. Both of them were rubbing their red ears.

"They deserved every bit of it..." Lucy mumbled, making the girls around her -Levy, Wendy, Mirajane, Erza, and Juvia- grin.

"They'll never grow up, will they?" Master Makorav mumbled to himself from the bar. "I guess this _is_ Fairy Tail."

* * *

The next few days were busy for the Dragneel family. Natsu and Gray had built the extension for Nashi's new bedroom and they had moved all her things inside. The bunk bed Nashi and Ryu had shared was taken apart, transformed into two beds. Now, the two rivals were putting together the crib for the new baby.

"It seems like we're putting a crib together every year." Lucy said to Juvia, both the women sitting on the sofa sipping Rosemary tea. Avalon and Ryu were playing with plastic trucks in front of them, Amaya and Nashi in the new bedroom downstairs. "We had to help put the crib together for Nami earlier this year, and two years before that for Ryu."

Juvia giggled. "I guess, that is true. Our Fairy Tail family keeps growing bigger and bigger."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "I've always wondered if Jellal and Erza are ever going to have kids..."

"I've thought about that too. Jellal is always off with Crime Sorcière, so Erza and him only see each other once in awhile." Juvia said before sighing.

"But they _are_ married. It must be hard for her. He's in a guild with Ultear and Meredy. And Erza can't bring herself to quit Fairy Tail to join them. It must be difficult." The blonde said, shaking her head, Juvia nodding in agreement.

"Lucy! We're done!" Natsu shouted from Ryu and the new baby's bedroom.

"Oh!" The celestial wizard stood from the sofa, Juvia following right behind her, almost stepping on her bare heels.

The bedroom was newly painted a pastel yellow. Ryu's bed was in the left corner, farthest from the door. The baby's white crib, the covers a pattern of white, pink, and blue, sat beside Ryu's bed, leaving a carpeted walkway between them. The wooden rocking chair sat in front of a white bookshelf filled with old children's books. The bed and crib were even made.

"Oh, Natsu. It's gorgeous!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping into a hug with the dragon slayer. "I can't wait to have another one of our little monsters running around." She whispered in his sensitive ear.

"It's time to celebrate!" Gray shouted. "Dinner's on me!"

Juvia and Lucy smiled at the thought of dinner. Natsu just drooled. "Alright," Lucy said. "We'll get the kids ready."

* * *

 **Author's Note: How was it? Please tell me in a review! Bye, guys!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: The Baby Shower

_Chapter Sixteen: The Baby Shower_

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 **Author's Note: Hello! I've got another chapter for you guys! Since I don't really have much to say, please leave a review! Bye!**

* * *

"Lucy. Lucy. C'mon. It's time to wake up." Natsu shook her awake. Today is April 18th at 8:09 AM. The baby is due May 8th.

"Ugh," The blonde mumbled. "Five more minutes. The baby was kicking all night."

"You can't. You're supposed to head to _your_ baby shower at Juvia's today. It starts in an hour, and Juvia wants you there first." Natsu exclaimed, only getting a groan from his wife. "C'mon. It's time to get up." Natsu uncovered her body, making her shiver. He picked her up in his arms and held her tightly against his chest. She stopped shivering once she hit his warm shirtless body. He walked past the kitchen and went into the living room, setting her down on the sofa.

"Mmmm," She mumbled.

Natsu left the living room and went back into the kitchen, throwing together a plate of toasted waffles. He poured the thick maple syrup on them and brought them back to his wife. "Eat up. If this one's got my appetite, then you'll need the food."

"Thanks." The blonde said, finally opening her chocolate eyes. She looked down and realized Natsu must have dressed her while she was asleep, because she was now wearing a white T-shirt along with a blue skirt. _He's so sweet,_ Lucy thought as she took a bite of the waffles. Swallowing the food, she said, "Where are the kids?"

"Mirajane picked them up earlier this morning. She brought them to the guild, along with Avalon, Amaya, Kairi, and Nami. Apparently they're all going to hang out with Asuka while the rest of the women go to the baby shower." Natsu explained.

"And what are you going to do?" The celestial wizard asked through a mouthful of waffles.

"Sting and Rouge invited Jellal, Gajeel, Gray, and I to hang out. Yukino said she and Minerva will be attending the shower."

"Oh." Lucy stood up from the couch, kissing Natsu on her way to the kitchen sink. "I'd better go. Thanks for all your help."

"Yeah..." Natsu said, waving good-bye to his wife.

* * *

"Wow, it looks wonderful, Juvia." Lucy said as she entered the Fullbuster's home. Yukino, Minerva, and Levy were already there, sitting on the sofa beside Juvia.

"Thanks, Lucy. I didn't think it looked that good..." Juvia's voice trailed off.

"So who are we waiting for?" Yukino asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Erza, Mirajane, Lisanna, Bisca, Laki, Cana, Wendy, Ultear, Meredy, Evergreen, and Carla." Levy said, reading off the list of guests.

"That many?" Lucy whined. "This might take awhile."

Having said that, the doorbell rang. Juvia jumped up, smiling in the motion. "It's open!" She called.

"I hope we're not to late." Erza said, stepping into the living room. Mirajane, Lisanna, Wendy, and Carla following behind her.

"You're right on time." Yukino said, smiling. "You can set the gifts on the kitchen table."

"Alright," All four of the women went into the kitchen, placing their gifts beside Juvia's present. They came back and sat beside Juvia, Lucy, Minerva, and Yukino.

It only took fifteen minutes for the other six women to come, all of them bringing a wrapped gift.

"Well, everyone is here. Might as well start opening gifts, eh?" Juvia said, lightly nudging Lucy with her elbow. "Lucy will walk up to the table, pick one, come back, and open it. No one tell her whose gift it is until she's opened it, okay?" All of the women in the room nodded their heads.

Lucy stood up from the sofa and approached the table. She picked a gift wrapped in purple and white. Walking back to the women, she untied the ribbon and began to open it. A cardboard box was inside. Inside the box was one pair of pink pajamas with an elephant on it and a pair of blue pajamas with an elephant on it. Also inside, there was a stuffed animal of Happy and another one of Carla. At the bottom of the box was an envelope. Picking it up, the blonde gently ripped it open. Inside it was about 1,000 Jewel. "Who is this from?" Lucy asked curiously.

Smiling, the purple haired girl perked up. "It's from me." Laki said.

"They're so cute! I wish I could've told you the gender of the baby, but Natsu and I wanted to find out ourselves when it's born. Wendy, on the other hand, already knows." The young bluenette smiled. "Thank you so much, Laki."

The blonde continued to open presents all day. From Cana, she received 10,000 Jewel. She said she hadn't known what to buy. From Bisca, she'd gotten eight new books, and a few blankets, along with 900 Jewel. From Yukino and Minerva, she'd gotten a couple pairs of pajamas. One of Frosch, Lector, Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily, with 1,000 Jewel. From Mirajane and Lisanna she got eight-teen coupons for babysitting anytime, a couple pop-up books, and 1,500 Jewel.

From Ultear and Meredy, she got a bouncy chair and 1,000 Jewel. From Wendy and Carla, she got a couple pairs of pajamas and onesies. From Erza, Lucy received a stroller and 1,00 Jewel. From Levy she got plenty of pajamas and books, along with 1,000 Jewel. From Evergreen a few pajamas and onesies, plus 800 Jewel. And from Juvia she got a little arm chair for the baby and Ryu to share, along with 1,800 Jewel.

"Oh, they're all so wonderful. Thank you all so much!" Lucy shouted.

* * *

The party lasted until 8:30 and Lucy hadn't made it home until 8:45. Nashi and Ryu were listening to the radio with Natsu. All three of them, along with Happy, were dancing goofily around the living room. Lucy smiled at the sight as she entered. "Encore! Encore!" She shouted, waving to her family.

"Mama!" Nashi and Ryu shouted, running up to hug her. Lucy bent down and hugged the two, her smile brightening.

The kids let go and left to get into their pajamas. Happy went with Ryu to help him. "Luce..." Natsu mumbled, sweeping her closer to him and into a kiss. "Where's all the crap you got?" He said between their lips.

"Juvia said we can pick it up tomorrow." She said, pushing him away. "Let's go to bed, I'm tired. Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight." The two walked into the bedroom, and Lucy changed into her pajamas. Natsu simply pulled off his one-sleeved over-coat, exposing his bare chest.

"Gotta put the kids to bed." Natsu said.

"Alright." They walked into Ryu's room first, kissing and hugging him goodnight. They did the same for Nashi and walked back into their bedroom. As Lucy started to pull the thick covers back, getting ready to climb in, she stopped. She stood there for a moment, then smiled. "Natsu... I think the baby is coming!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: How was the ending? I can't wait to write the next chapter! Leave a review! See ya later! Love ya!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Baby

_Chapter Seventeen: Baby_

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 **Author's Note: I don't have much to say, so I'll let you guys get reading!**

* * *

"A-are you sure?" Natsu stuttered, sweat appearing all over his shaking body. "Are you sure the baby's coming? Now?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now get me to the infirmary." Lucy grouched. She was tired, hurting, annoyed. All her emotions were fighting each other inside, making her grouchy and crabby. She felt horrible for saying that to Natsu, but she really didn't want the kids to hear her screaming as she was having a baby. It would scare them, considering they do, after all, have their father's sensitive ears.

"Alright," Natsu chuckled. "We're going to have another baby." He smiled at Lucy, showing off his canine teeth. "Hey, Happy." The dragon slayer said, lightly shaking his furry friend awake. "Watch the kids for us. Luce went into labor. I gotta bring her to the guild hall."

"Okay," Happy mumbled sleepily. "I'll have them sleep in your bed. That way I can keep an eye on them."

The pinkette nodded. "Thanks, little buddy." They were already out the door, the blonde hugging her husband's chest tightly as he carried her to Fairy Tail.

* * *

At the speed they were going, Natsu got her there in roughly three minutes. They burst through the guild hall doors and stopped. "Wendy! I need Wendy!" Natsu screamed, running his wife into the infirmary. Lucy's teeth were clenched tightly together and her eyes were little slits. She was obviously in pain, but he didn't know what to do for her.

So he chose something simple, like holding her hand and whispering encouraging words in her ear during the birth. And before he knew it, the baby was born.

"Oh, Lucy-san, Natsu-san. He's beautiful." Wendy stated as she wrapped the crying child in a blue blanket. The young girl brought the baby over to it's mother, placing him in Lucy's arms. The blonde looked down at her son for the first time, taking in all his beautiful features.

He had a darker shade of blonde hair, much like hers. His eyes were a greenish color, almost like his father's. His skin was pale like Lucy, but his canine teeth matched his Natsu's.

"He's gorgeous." Lucy whispered.

"He's like you." Natsu said, squeezing her hand.

"Have we thought about any names?" Wendy asked curiously, washing her hands in the sink.

"Kaen." Lucy said. "His name is Kaen."

"That's a cute name." Wendy said, coming over to the couple. "Kaen Dragneel." She smiled. "The family just keeps growing and growing, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Natsu said, still staring down at his son. "I can't believe it," He began, looking at Lucy's brown eyes. "I'm a father of _three_."

"You're a wonderful father." Lucy said, kissing her husband on the cheek.

"You're a wonderful mother." Natsu said, ruffling Kaen's blonde hair. "He's so much like you..."

"And Ryu is so much like you." The celestial wizard smiled. "I love having kids with you." She leaned her head on Natsu's heart, comforted by the beat of it. "I wouldn't be this happy having them with anyone else."

"I love you, Luce." The dragon slayer kissed her on the lips, making Wendy smile.

"I love you too, Natsu." Lucy said between his lips. "I can't wait to see Nashi, Ryu, and Kaen grow."

* * *

Morning finally came, and Nashi and Ryu were let in to see their new family member. Happy had brought them over as soon as dawn came. He couldn't stand staying home with them any longer.

Right now, Lucy was still in bed, Kaen in a white-wicker bassinet beside her bed. Natsu was sitting on the edge of his wife's bed, Ryu on his mother's lap. Nashi was standing beside the crib, staring down at her new brother.

"Kaen Dragneel." Nashi said, rubbing Kaen's soft cheek. "It has a nice ring to it."

"Your mother thought so too," A male voice said, stepping into the infirmary.

"Uncle Gray!" Nashi shouted, running up to her uncle's feet and hugging his leg.

"Hello, Nashi." Juvia said, entering at her Gray-sama's side, Avalon and Amaya following.

"Aunt Juvia!" Nashi exchanged a hug with the water woman as well.

"Why don't you four go play outside," Natsu said, picking up Ryu and placing him outside the infirmary door frame. "Mama and I need to take to Uncle Gray and Aunt Juvia."

"Okay!" Amaya and Nashi didn't hesitate. They ran out into the guild hall, Avalon and Ryu following.

Natsu shut the door, but someone's large booted foot caught it.

"Thanks for waiting, Salamander." A deep voice said sarcastically. Gajeel opened the door, entering the room with Levy.

"Lu-chan! Congratulations!" The bluenette ran to her friend's side, wrapping Lucy into a big hug. "So, where's the little one?"

"In the bassinet." Lucy said, pointing over to the white baby crib. Levy and Juvia were eager to see the baby, but tried not to show it. They were doing a horrible job of doing so.

They rushed over to the crib, peering into it. "Oh, he's beautiful." They cooed together.

"What's his name, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, playing with his small hands.

"His name is Kaen. Kaen Dragneel." Lucy smiled. "Can you bring him to me?"

"Sure." Juvia said, picking up the little blonde and placing him in her friend's arms.

"He's so cute..." Levy mumbled, still staring at him. Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel were talking in the corner of the infirmary, letting the girls awe over the new Dragneel.

Lucy's smile widened the longer she looked at her son. Kaen was sleeping, his chest moving up and down every time he took a breath. The blue blanket he was wrapped in moved as well. When the blonde's smile couldn't get any bigger, she stopped. Her eyes widened, her smile fading from her lips.

"Luce, what's wrong?" Natsu said, turning to see her scared expression.

"H-he-" Lucy stuttered, taking a glance at Natsu and returning it to Kaen.

"Lucy! What's wrong?!" Natsu never called her by her full name, signaling that he was worried as well.

"H-he's s-stopped bre-breathing." Everyone's eyes widened, making Lucy shake more that she already was.

"Wendy!" Natsu burst into the guild hall, screaming the young girl's name. "Wendy! Where is Wendy?!"

The guild hall was silent.

"Where is she?!"

"Wendy left with Romeo a few minutes ago..." Laki exclaimed.

"Where did she go?!" Natsu demanded.

"She said she'd be at the fair in the park." Alzack said.

"Thanks, guys!" Natsu was already out the door, running at top-speed to the park. _Just hold on, Kaen. Just hold on. Wendy will be here real soon._

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the big cliff-hanger this chapter guys, but I have to keep you entertained somehow! Anyway, please leave a review for this chapter! I love to read your guys' opinions on the chapters. So don't be afraid to say them! See ya later!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Kaen

_Chapter Eighteen: Kaen_

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 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I finally have the next chapter ready for you! So let's get reading! :D**

* * *

"Wendy!" The frightened voice broke the romantic moment Wendy was sharing with Romeo. Someone was screaming... _her_ name? "Wendy!" Natsu shouted, jumping into view.

"Natsu-san! What's wro-"

"No time to explain. Luce and I need your help." He grabbed the sky dragon slayer's wrist and ran for the guild, leaving Romeo in his dust.

"Natsu-san?!" Wendy shouted as he dragged her into the infirmary.

He stopped and grabbed the girl's shoulders, shaking her. His green-ish eyes were glossy, but it was only visible at a close distance. "Wendy..." He began. "Please. It's Kaen." Natsu let go of her and beckoned her to Lucy's side.

Wendy peered through the thick blue blankets and stared at young Kaen. "He's. Not. _Breathing_." The bluenette rose her hands to the baby's chest and began the healing process. They all stood there for a moment, frozen. Levy and Gajeel holding hands, sending assuring squeezes to each other. Juvia and Gray were doing the same thing.

Natsu, on the other hand, sat on the infirmary bed beside the blonde, staring at his son's pale face. He was holding Lucy's cold hand, squeezing it every few minutes to assure her that he wasn't going anywhere. "Breathe, Kaen. _Breathe_." He whispered.

Sweat appeared on Wendy's forehead, showing her exhaustion to everyone in the room. But the girl refused to stop. She _had_ to save him. She had to save Kaen. For Natsu-san and Lucy-san. "Come on, Kaen." She mumbled. And with that, Wendy gave it all she could. She sent all her healing magic into him, hoping, no, _pleading_ that he'll live. "Breathe."

The blankets began moving again, showing Natsu and Lucy that their son was breathing again.

"Kaen!" Lucy shouted, pulling him close to her. "He's alive!" She gestured to Natsu, asking him silently to join their hug.

"Thanks, Wendy. I never doubted you for a moment." Natsu turned her way, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Natsu-san." The bluenette wiped the sweat off her forehead, just as someone special to her entered the infirmary.

"Wendy!" Romeo shouted. "What the hell?! Why'd you leave me?!"

"Sorry," Wendy said as she left the infirmary with Romeo. "I got caught up." Then she stopped in the guild hall. "Can we rest today?"

"Sure," The black haired teenager said, grinning down at her. "We'll stay here..."

"Thank goodness he's alright." Juvia said, approaching the bed to look at the smallest Dragneel. "You'll have to keep an eye on this one."

"Yeah," Lucy said, smiling at her friends. "I guess we will."

* * *

"Welcome home, Kaen." Lucy said as Natsu opened their apartment door for his family. "This is where you'll be living." Nashi followed behind her mother, smiling at her new brother. Ryu was sleeping in the stroller Natsu pushed into the apartment, picking him up and following his wife up the their sons' bedroom. "And this is where you sleep." Lucy turned on the light in the bedroom, undressing Kaen and putting him into a pair of black pajamas, dragons and fire covering the soft fabric.

She put Kaen into his crib, Natsu tucking in Ryu on the opposite side of the room. Kaen stared up at his parents with his large green eyes, smiling at them. "Goodnight, boys." The couple said together. The blonde flicked off the lights, Natsu shutting the door behind them. Nashi was standing outside the door, waiting for her goodnight.

"Goodnight, Amai." Natsu said, ruffling her hair.

"Sweet dreams, Nashi." Lucy said, sending her daughter off to bed.

"So, how're you feeling?" The dragon slayer asked as he followed his wife back into their bedroom. He threw off his black one-sleeved over coat and climbed into the bed.

Lucy threw off the infirmary robe she'd borrowed and changed into a black tank-top and purple basketball shorts. Climbing into bed beside Natsu, she said, "Wonderful, actually. I just had our _third_ child. It makes me happy knowing that I'm having kids with you. I wouldn't love having them with any man other than you. I think Nashi, Ryu, and Kaen would agree with me."

Lucy's statement made him blush bright red. "Thanks, Luce. I wouldn't have kids with anyone else. I love you."

"I love you too, Natsu."

* * *

"Good morning, Natsu." Lucy said, stepping out into the kitchen. It was 7:46 AM on April 20th, the morning after Kaen's early birth.

"Finally sleep good?" Natsu asked, pouring eggs into a pan on the stove.

"Yeah. And Kaen slept through the night. Maybe he'll be the easy baby of the three. Ryu was the hardest." The blonde sat down at the table beside Kaen in his highchair. She ruffled his spiky hair, making him look more presentable to the world.

"You want to feed him, Luce? It _is_ his first meal. He slept most of yesterday, so he didn't get the chance to eat. And, on top of that, if he ate so much when he was in your belly then he's bound to be starving. He does have my appetite, after all."

"I'll start whipping up something for him, then." The celestial wizard stood up and walked to the cabinets, searching through them for a bottle and the powder. Once she found them, she put the powder on the counter and filled the bottle with warm water, then filled it with the powder and shook it up. Walking back to Kaen, his eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle. "You hungry, Kaen?" Lucy cooed, bringing the bottle towards him.

Surprisingly, the baby nodded his head.

Lucy giggled, Natsu grinning in the corner as he continued to make the family's breakfast. "Okay," She put the bottle tip into his mouth and tipped it up. Kaen gulped it down in a minute, pointing to the counter at the powder when he was finished. "You want _more_?" Lucy asked. He nodded his head again. "Alright... but just a little bit." She whipped up another half a bottle and fed it to him. Again, he gulped it down quickly.

Just as Lucy was about to pick him up to burp him, Kaen belched loudly. But kind of in a cute way. "Ha, ha!" Natsu laughed, slapping his palm again the counter-top. "He really does have my appetite!"

"I guess so," Lucy smiled, buckling Kaen back into his highchair.

"Good morning, Mama. Daddy." Nashi said, entering the kitchen. "Hi, Kaen." She sat down at the table beside Lucy, Natsu bringing over the food and plates.

"I'll go get Ryu. You guys can start eating." The fire dragon slayer said, heading into his sons' room. "C'mon, Ryu." He picked up his pink haired son and brought him into the kitchen, placing him between Nashi and Lucy. He took his seat beside his wife and dished out the eggs and bacon to his family.

"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy said, picking up a bite of eggs on her fork.

"For what?" Natsu asked through his mouthful.

"For giving me this life." Lucy kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him before shoving the eggs into her mouth.

"I love you, Luce." Natsu smiled at her. "Thanks for my family."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I loved writing the ending for this chapter. It was so cute. I just love writing for you guys in general, and writing this chapter was probably my favorite. I love Kaen. He's so cute. Please a review for me! I love reading them! See you next time!**


	19. Chapter Ninteen: Family Fires

_Chapter Nineteen: Family Fires_

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 **Author's Note: Konichiwa! I'm back with another cute chapter. I love this one. Well, let's get reading! ;-)**

* * *

"Wake up, Mama!" Nashi shouted from her parents' bedside. It was early the next morning, Natsu and Lucy still in bed. The dragon slayer had his arms wrapped around his wife, her head resting against the pillow by his bare chest.

Refusing to open his eyes, Natsu asked, "What is it, Amai?"

"It's time to get up!" Was all Nashi replied as she ran out of the bedroom.

"Ugh," Natsu groaned as he began to loosen his grip on his wife.

"Natsu," Lucy grabbed his wrist, tugging on it. "Don't leave me yet."

"I got to feed the kids. You can sleep awhile." Natsu grinned, shaking off her hand. He stood up, walked to the door, shut it, and left the Lucy and the room in the dark.

"Where's Mama?" Nashi asked. She was sitting on the kitchen island, holding a whisk and mixing some cracked eggs together.

"Sleeping. She's still tired from Kaen's little adventure." Yesterday, after the family's first breakfast with Kaen, the baby blonde decided he'd scream and cry all day and night. Natsu shook his head, making the memory disappear. "Hopefully he'll be a little more cooperative today."

"Yeah," Nashi agreed, nodding.

"Why don't we go wake up the boys, huh?" Natsu asked, filling a glass of water and downing it. He set it on the counter before lifting Nashi off the counter and placing her on the floor.

"Okay!" The two walked into Ryu and Kaen's bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"I'll get Kaen," Natsu whispered.

"Alright,"

He picked up the baby blonde and kissed him on the forehead. "Wake up, baby boy." Natsu toyed with Kaen's blonde hair, smiling when the baby opened his large green eyes. "Good morning, Kaen." The baby squealed at the sight of his father, smiling away all the sleepiness inside himself and his father. Natsu's fatherly instincts kicked in, making him lay little Kaen in his arms and walk over to Ryu's bed.

Nashi stood at the foot of her brother's bed, bouncing as high as she could on the mattress, trying to wake up her tired playmate. "Wake up, Ryu!" She exclaimed.

Ryu sighed when he woke up, noticing his older sister at the edge of his bed.

"Time to get up, little buddy." Natsu said, moving to Ryu's head and ruffling his son's pink hair. Ryu listened and crawled out of bed, running into the kitchen. Nashi followed close behind him, Natsu and Kaen brining up the rear.

 _Look, Luce,_ Natsu thought, _Look at the wonderful family you've given me._

When the father of three finally entered the kitchen, he was greeted by Ryu and Nashi beginning to make what he assumed was French Toast. His baby girl was sitting on the island, showing her brother how to properly stir the batter. Ryu awed at the sight and reached for the bowl and whisk, asking her if he could try. Nashi handed over the bowl to her brother, and, finally noticing Natsu in the kitchen doorway, smiled at her family.

The oldest dragon slayer smiled at his daughter, placing his blonde baby in the high chair at the table. "Alright," Natsu began, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get cooking."

* * *

Lucy awoke to the smell of smoke and... syrup? She jumped out of bed, shivering in the room before rushing out into the kitchen. She could hear her family coughing, but she had no idea where they were. The entire room was covered in endless black smoke. "Natsu?! Nashi?! Ryu?!" She called, wandering about the kitchen. She moved around objects, such as the table and curio cabinet from memory. But when she crashed into something, or rather someone, it startled her.

"Luce!" Natsu shouted, only to be followed by coughing.

"What happened out here?!" Lucy shouted, waving her hand to clear little of the smoke away. She knew the windows were opened because of the sudden coldness in the room.

The smoke finally cleared, exposing Lucy's family to her. Nashi and Ryu were standing in front of the windows, their faces covered in soot. Natsu stood by the stove, Kaen in his arms, the baby's face hidden in his father's chest. When the dragon slayer family noticed Lucy, they were greeted with a frightening glare from the blonde celestial wizard.

"Natsu," She said, glaring at him. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Alright," Natsu sighed, sitting down at the table. He gave Kaen to Lucy, watching as his wife played with her newborn son. Ryu and Nashi knew it wasn't a good time, so they went into Ryu and Kaen's bedroom, closing the door behind them.

"Natsu Dragneel!" Lucy shouted, clenching her hand into a fist. "What the hell happened in here?!"

"Luce, I'm really sorry." Natsu knew that before he should try to explain, he really _should_ apologize, even though it wasn't his fault, or anyone's. "Ryu sneezed while we were making French Toast. Of course, he's getting to the age of his fire breathing-sneezing thing, that he just... you know."

"So Ryu sneezed at set the kitchen on fire." Lucy repeated, nodding her head in disbelief.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry, Luce. I put it out right away. By eating it." Natsu bowed his head in shame. He felt horrible for setting his wife's kitchen on fire. He knew how much she loved it. She spends all her time there, cooking for her family and humming a song for her children.

"Natsu," Lucy sighed, standing up and walking over to her husband. "It's okay. I forgive you. I guess I should expect more of this. Considering I live with three fire dragons. I guess they've all got fire in their bellies, huh?" She kissed him on the check and began to make French Toast again. "Looks like you guys were doing a good job. Just until, you know, Ryu started my kitchen on fire."

"Thanks, Luce. But we all know it only tastes good when you make it. Mine would probably taste like shit if it wasn't for Nashi's cooking skills." Natsu said. He looked over to the hallway of bedrooms, smiling when he saw Nashi and Ryu standing in the doorway.

"You guys can come over now." Lucy said, waving good morning to her children.

* * *

When Lucy finished making breakfast, the Dragneels sat at the table. "Well," Lucy said, smiling at her family. "I guess this was our first Family Fire. Looks like there will be plenty more of them too. Unless Kaen becomes a celestial wizard like me. But I can't wait for more mornings like this one."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hellooooo! I just loved this chapter, didn't you?! Tell me in a review! See ya guys later!**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Natsu, The Babysitter

_Chapter Twenty: Natsu; The Babysitter_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Not much to say here, so I guess get reading!**

* * *

Lucy was stressed after the fire, and Natsu knew that. So, he decided to take Happy, Nashi, Ryu, and Kaen to the guild.

"Luce!" He called from the front door, helping Ryu slid into his shoes. "I'm talking the kids to the guild!"

"Alright," The blonde said from the top of the staircase in the entry way. "Just make sure Kaen has his ba-"

"Yes, Lucy. He has his bag."

"Does he have his drago-"

"Yes, Luce."

"Alright, then..."

"Be back around dinner time." Natsu said, opening the door and letting Nashi, Ryu, and Happy flood out of the crowded entry way. "See you then." He began to follow his family, but then turned back to where his wife stood. "Just make sure to enjoy yourself, alright. We've had enough family chaos this week. Just have some fun." And with that, Natsu shut the door behind him and began to make his way to the guild, carrying a sleeping Kaen in his arms.

Lucy smiled and went into the living room, plopping down onto the couch. She looked around her home, taking in all its familiar features. Sighing, she sunk farther into the couch. She felt so... alone. Her family was gone, leaving her with her boredom.

 _Now what?_

She stood from the sofa, smiling as she made her way to her bedroom. The celestial wizard sat down at her desk, which was overflowing with papers, pens, ink, and photos of Natsu, the kids, Happy, and her. Brushing them away, she picked up her quail pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write her unfinished story.

* * *

Natsu walked along the sidewalks of Magnolia, making his way to the guild with his children. Nashi skipped alongside the river, smiling and humming a song as she did. Ryu ran after her, nearly falling into the water a few to many times for Natsu's comfort. Happy flew above them both, ready to catch Ryu from falling in. And Kaen, the sweet little baby, was awake now and sucking on his father's scarf, leaving the ends of the cloth soaked with saliva. But Natsu didn't mind. He's used to it by now, considering Nashi and Ryu did the same thing when they were Kaen's age.

"Fairy Tail!" Nashi shouted, picking up her speed as she ran to the guild's front doors. Ryu looked up at his smiling father's face, grinning widely, before running off behind his sister. Nashi opened the doors for Ryu and her. They stepped inside, smiling as everyone said hello. Ryu waited at the step for his father, but Nashi ran off to the bar, obviously buying juice.

Natsu entered the guild behind his oldest son, closing the door behind him. Kaen giggled in his father's arms at all the members making goofy faces for the infant. The dragon slayer walked over to a table where Erza and Jellal chatting quietly. "I see you two are as friendly as ever," He joked, sitting down at the table beside Erza.

"Yes. We have been quiet busy lately. We've been going on plenty of jobs... trying to earn money for a new baby sure is tiring." Jellal said, rubbing his temple.

"A new baby, eh?" Natsu asked, looking between the two. "When did this happen?" The pinkette tickled Kaen's stomach with his finger, making the child giggle.

"We just found out two weeks ago." Jellal explained. "But Erza's been to afraid to tell anyone. She's scared she'll loose the baby."

"Any names picked out yet?" Natsu asked, reminiscing picking names. Lucy had them figured out within a week or so of her pregnancy.

"Uh, actually..." Jellal began, turning to his wife.

"We thought Ken would be a nice name for a boy. And Aka or Aki for a girl's name." Erza replied, a small grin crossing her face. "Or Master Mavis could name it."

"Daddy!" Ryu called from the bar. Natsu looked over at his oldest son, waiting for him to say something. Instead, the child skipped over to Natsu's table and sat beside him.

"Ryu? What's wrong?" The dragon slayer asked, sticking his finger in Kaen's mouth for him to suck on.

"Me hungry." The boy replied, rubbing his stomach.

"Alright. It's best we head home. Luce would kill me if I spent more money." Natsu said, standing up. He nudged Ryu, urging him to get up. He carried Kaen to the door and held Ryu's hand. "Nashi!" He called, opening the large guild doors.

"Coming, Daddy!" His daughter shouted. Natsu turned to the sound of her voice, looking at the barstools. Nashi jumped off of one of them and, waving good-bye to Master Mavis, she followed her father outside into the warm sunset.

* * *

"Luce!" Natsu shouted opening the door to their home. Ryu and Nashi ran inside and, kicking off their shoes, ran upstairs to greet their mother. "We're home!" He shut the door and took off his shoes, organizing the footwear the way Lucy liked it. He thought she'd appreciate that when she noticed it later. Kaen was awake still and he was obviously begging to play on the floor.

"Mama?!" Nashi and Ryu shouted, searching for the celestial wizard all about the house. The dragon slayer walked upstairs and put Kaen on the play mat in the living room. He made his way over to the bedrooms, assuming Lucy would be writing there.

"Luce?!" Natsu called, entering the bedroom. He looked over at the desk, terrified by what he saw. "Nashi! Call Wendy and tell her to get to here as fast as she can! Then take your brothers to Uncle Gray's house! Tell him to come over quickly! You three stay there with Aunt Juvia!" Nashi didn't hesitate to do everything her father asked. She knew it was serious

Natsu approached the desk, tears welling in his eyes. His wife, perfect and beautiful and precious to him, appeared to be asleep. But blood, her blood, was pooled around the desk and bed, her mouth plastered dry with red. The tips of her gorgeous blonde hair floated in some of the sickening liquid, but her neck was bleeding the worst. Examining the room, Natsu noticed the window was wide open, and a knife was sitting there in the windowsill...

* * *

 **Author's Note: I know most of you were expecting this to be a happy story. But no. I can't write those. They get to boring for me after awhile. So, I threw in a little plot twist for you...**

 **Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I've been hanging out with some of my friends that I haven't seen all summer. But, I've got a new chapter. I hoped you liked it! And if you did please tell me in a review! Bye!**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Lucy

_Chapter Twenty-One: Lucy_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Oh my gosh guys! It feels so good to be writing again! But, I guess I'll let you read. I'll talk more at the end. ^_^  
**

* * *

"Natsu-san?!" Wendy called, bursting into the Dragneel's home. When Natsu didn't answer, she ran upstairs into the bedroom, only to find Natsu hugging Lucy body, which was limp in his arms. Wendy bent down and immediately got to work on her comrade. "C'mon, Lucy-san." She'd whisper once in awhile.

"Wendy..." Natsu choked, staring at Lucy's face. "I-is she going to be okay?"

Wendy didn't reply. That was enough to worry Natsu more. "Natsu-san," The sky mage began, sweat beading down her forehead. "We need to get Lucy-san to the guild as fast as we can. There's some medical supplies I need there in order to treat her."

"Alright..." The fire mage said.

"Natsuuuuu!" Gray shouted, running into the apartment. He pounded up the stairs and into the bedroom. Leaning against the door, Gray said, "Is she alright? What can I do to help?" Even though he was panting like a dog on a hot summer's day, the ice mage stayed somewhat calm. He was talking extremely fast, which was unusual for Gray. Natsu knew he was scared for Lucy.

"Good timing, Gray-san." Wendy began. "We need to get Lucy-san to the infirmary as fast as we can without moving her around too much. It would help a lot if Happy and Carla were here..." She looked up at the two. "Can you do that for me?"

They didn't even give the sky mage and answer. Slowly, they picked up Lucy. Natsu swung his wife's arms over his neck and held her in place on his back. Gray stood close by, watching to make sure Lucy was alright.

"Alright... let's go." Natsu said, staring blankly at his lover's pale face, balanced on his shoulder.

"Okay, Natsu-san, Gray-san. We have to hurry. But be gentile." Wendy said again, opening up the bedroom door for her fellow dragon slayer.

* * *

"Natsu-san, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in the hallway." Wendy said, shutting the infirmary door behind her.

It was so unfair. It was _his_ wife in there. And Gray was the one in there with Wendy helping. He should be there with her.

"Natsu!" A familiar female voice shouted. The dragon slayer turned to the large guild doors. Juvia stood there with Kaen crying in her arms, Nashi, Ryu, Avalon, and Amaya standing dumbly behind her. The bluenette ran over to where he stood, placing sobbing Kaen in his father's arms.

"Juvia..."

"What's up with Lucy?! Is she alright?!" The water woman shrieked.

"I-I'm not sure. When I found her in our bedroom, she had stab wounds on her neck and it looked like she lost a lot of blood." Natsu stated.

The infirmary door suddenly opened, and Wendy stood before the two mages. "Natsu-san..." Wendy said, tears dripping down her pale cheeks. "I'm afraid Lucy-san is..."

"No!" Natsu burst into the infirmary, brushed past a devastated Gray, and walked over to Lucy's bed in the left corner. "Lucy! Wake up! C'mon, Luce! Stop playing _around_!" He fell to his knees in agony. Tears dripped onto Lucy's sickly colored hand. Most of the tears fell onto her wedding ring. "Luuuuuccccyyy!"

* * *

"Ah!" Natsu gasped, opening his eyes. The bedroom was dark, but the door was wide open and Ryu and Kaen's door was open as well, their nightlight glowing brightly. The fire wizard stood up and slid a pair of his baggy white pants on.

Walking into his sons' bedroom, he heard someone singing. More specifically, a woman's voice. The pinkette leaned against the door frame, watching his wife. Lucy was sitting on Ryu's bed, Kaen in her arms, and was singing to them. Nashi sat on one side of the blonde, Happy laying in her lap, and Ryu on the other.

Natsu smiled at the sight, happy to see his wife and family was alive and well. He chuckled, widening his smile.

Lucy took her gaze off Kaen and looked up at the noise. Her singing stopped, making her husband frown. "Ah! Natsu! How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to realize that you're really good at singing." The mage stated.

The celestial mage blushed, making Natsu smile wider. "You two should get back to bed." She said, turning to Nashi and Ryu. Lucy stood up, put Kaen back into his crib, tucked in Ryu, and kissed Nashi goodnight.

'You have a real nice voice, Luce." Natsu said as he shut the door to Ryu and Kaen's bedroom.

"Thanks, Natsu." The blonde said, positioning her hair to stay behind her ear.

"You should get some sleep. You've been really tired lately." The fire wizard said, taking off his baggy pants and climbing into the bed.

"Yeah, I know." Lucy sighed, climbing into bed beside her husband. "I'm just getting used to actually getting sleep. When I was pregnant with Kaen he was always moving. I never got sleep. And now that I actually can, my body refuses to do so."

"Well, just try to get some sleep. You really need it."

"Alright."

* * *

"Mama! Mama! Mama wake up!"

"Ugh." Lucy replied, opening her eyes. Kaen was sitting on her stomach, Natsu and Nashi sitting beside her, Ryu on the other side of her.

"C'mon, Mama! The guild's having an Easter party today! Let's go!" Nashi shouted.

"What time is it?" The blonde asked.

"It's almost noon, Luce..." Natsu replied, lifting Kaen off his wife's stomach. Ryu and Nashi jumped down, following their father into the living room.

"Uhh." Lucy groaned as she climbed out of bed. She walked over to a closet and threw on her favorite dress, the one she wore at Natsu's returning home party.

"Time to go!" Natsu called, opening the front door and letting his family flood out.

"Alright!" The blonde shouted. "I'll be right out!" She ran out of the bathroom after she finished her make-up and followed her husband out of the door.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hi, guys! I'm so happy to be back. The beginning of the school year has been difficult for me. Now that the swim season is almost over, I can finally sit down and write.**

 **(I'm retarded. It's not even Halloween yet and I'm already in Christmas pajamas, sitting in front of my laptop, eating Ice Cream, and writing my Fanfiction. "I'm a professional".)**

 **Anyway, please leave me a reveiw! I really hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I'll see you all next chapter! Bye!**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Storytime

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Storytime  
_

* * *

 **Author's Note: A new chapter! Yay! ^_^  
**

 **So glad to be back. I miss writing!**

* * *

The Dragneel family walked down the cobblestone streets of Magnolia on their way to the guild hall. Dressed in her dark blue skinny jeans, a ruffled white shirt, and her ankle brown boots, Nashi skipped alongside the river, jumping and playfully wrestling Ryu, making Lucy bite her lip nervously. The pink haired boy was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a nice button-up shirt, and cowboy boots.

Natsu walked beside her, squeezing her hand reassuringly as they made their way to the guild. He pushed a stroller in front of him, containing the diaper bag, a few toys, and little baby Kaen. Everything caught the baby's green eyes, entertaining him all the way. He shrieked when a butterfly landed on his stomach, startling his parents.

Lucy giggled when she saw it was only a mere butterfly. She held out her finger to the insect, hoping it would rest there and show Kaen it was harmless. When the butterfly did as she'd hoped, she smiled wildly, watching as Kaen's green eyes widened with wonder.

Finally, the baby Dragneel held out his hand towards the creature. "Yeah, that's it, baby boy." Lucy said, gently moving her finger and the butterfly towards her son's tiny hand.

The parents smiled proudly when Kaen let the butterfly land on his finger. The insect looked larger compared to Kaen's little fingers.

"Ahhhh!" A shriek broke the family's touching moment.

 _Sploosh!_

Natsu and Lucy turned to look back at Nashi and Ryu, both of them floating in the river. The parents exchanged a nervous glance and ran to the riverbank. Natsu pulled the two out of the water, Lucy waiting for them by baby Kaen.

"What happened?" She asked, a nervous look on her face.

"Ryu and I were wrestling and we both rolled off the edge and into the river!" Nashi exclaimed, laughing at her own stupidity. "It was very fun!"

The celestial wizard looked at her husband, biting her lip. Natsu smiled reassuringly at her. "We'll ask Mira for some towels when we get to the guild."

"Yeah!" Ryu shouted, grasping for his father's hand.

"Nashi," Natsu said, requesting his daughter's hand as well. On cue, all three dragon slayers began skipping down the streets. Lucy smiled from behind and ran to keep up with them. Kaen giggled from the stroller, even though he was unaware of the situation.

* * *

The five entered the guild in sync, all rushing over to the bar counter. "Mira, do you happen to have any bath towels? Ryu and Nashi fell into the river on the way here."

Mirajane giggled as she looked down at the two children. "Come on back," She said, gesturing for the two to follow her. They did as told, and disappeared behind the counter.

Sighing, Natsu and Lucy pushed Kaen's stroller to a table containing Gray, Juvia, Levy, Gajeel, and Erza. Amaya, Avalon, and Kairi waited impatiently for Nashi and Ryu to return. Little Nami sat on Gajeel's lap, happily playing with her father's long hair.

After a few minutes of 'adult time' Nashi, Ryu, Avalon, Amaya, and Kairi came over to the table. All five children sat on the floor, forming a semi-circle around the front of the table.

"Daddy, Mama, Uncle Gray and Gajeel, and Aunt Juvia, Erza, and Levy," Nashi asked. "Can you tell us stories from your adventures?" All the children nodded their heads in agreement.

"Your favorite one." Amaya added.

Natsu sighed, looking at the other members of the table, trying to remember a fun story to tell. Suddenly, Natsu and Gray smiled. Nothing good can ever come out of this.

"I remember a time," Natsu began.

"There was a strange request on the board." Gray snickered at Natsu, remembering the wretched memory.

"It was a translating request. I'd pulled it off the board, set it on the table, and began reading it."

Lucy, Erza, and Levy smiled, remembering the day.

 _Natsu finished reading the request. Everyone around the table -Lucy, Gray, Happy, Erza, Loke, and Natsu- began glowing. Rainbows!_

 _Everything went black for a minute, then back again. The kids stood up... everyone felt slightly different._

"And that's how we all switched bodies." Natsu said, smiling at everyone. They all looked at him angrily.

"So it was your fault, Flamebrain!" Gray stood up, shouting in Natsu's face.

"No it wasn't, Popsicle!" Natsu spat back, bringing the boys into a full on brawl. Grinning widely, Gajeel joined in the fight, and soon almost everyone was brawling.

All women sighed and let their heads fall to the table. They were grown men, with wives and children, and they still acted like preschoolers.

Levy, Lucy, Juvia, and Erza stood up, grabbed their things and children, and left the guild.

* * *

Natsu returned late that evening, around 9:00 pm. He stumbled through the doorway, and called out to his wife. "Yo, Luce! I'm home!" His words were slurred, indicating that he was probably drunk.

Lucy shook her head in disapproval, and went into the entry way to help him up the stairs and into bed. "Nashi! Time for bed!" Lucy called through the door of her daughter's bedroom. Nashi gasped and shut off her light, groaning silently. _How does she always know what time I go to bed?_ Nashi wondered to herself.

She mumbled a goodnight to her sons as she walked past their door and into her bedroom. Helping Natsu into bed, Lucy sighed as she covered him up. She kissed him on the forehead and whispered a goodnight to him.

The novelist sat down at her desk and began writing the nightly letter to her mother.

 _Dear Mom,_

 _Natsu got into another fight with Gray at the guild again. He somehow got very drunk. I'll have to patch up his wounds in the morning. I miss you dearly, Mom. You should be here to share this life with me, and meet Nashi, Ryu, and Kaen in real life. You'd love Natsu._

 _With Love,_

 _Lucy_

And with that, the blonde shut off the lights and climbed into bed beside her drunk husband. He was out cold the minute his back had hit the sheets. _How in the world did I get this lucky?_ Lucy thought.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Shorter chapter than normal, but at least I got one out. So sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I haven't had the inspiration (or the motivation ^_^) to write one. I hope you liked it! Tell me in a reveiw!  
**

 **See ya next time! (btw I MIGHT come out with a special Christmas Oneshot, so look out for that)**


	23. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven't been on in awhile. Summer has been quite busy for me and somewhat stressful. I've done lots of babysitting, which is worth it because the money goes towards the anime con in May. ^-^

Anyway, the To Be Lucky series will come to an end. I'm currently working on the last chapter, as I have been for quite some time now. I'm having the same struggles as the original author, AcidRain1698, had. I don't know how to end it! But I have a good idea in mind and I'm currently working on it.

The last chapter of the series will be longer than the rest so it will take a bit more time to write it. I'd like to thank Acid for encouraging me to finish her work. She's helped me in more ways than you can imagine. Thanks, Acid! Love ya! And keep up the amazing work. You never fail to make me smile.

With that being said, To Be Lucky had an amazing run for Acid. It's been interesting to continue her story and, as she told me, "make it my own". May this story continue in our minds and our hearts.

10:10 am, July 27th, 2018

-Mazey


	24. Author's Note 2

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I know it's been quite some time since I've written anything (I actually forgot about it lol) so I'm working on the last chapter right now. It will be up very soon (maybe even tonight?). I'm very sorry to make you all wait for me for about a year. I'm glad you've been patient with me, though! Love you all!**


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